Jan 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives past Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) during the second half at Capital One Arena. Photo: Reuters
Deni Avdija became the first-ever Israeli basketball player to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday afternoon, wearing a No. 8 jersey which featured the flag of Israel.
The 25-year-old, who is a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, scored five points to go along with four assists and a rebound over the course of two games for the “World” team.
There was a three-team format this year for the 2026 NBA All-Star Games at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Each team played each other in 12-minute games, and the two teams with the best record and the best point differential played against each other in a fourth “final” game. Aside from the “World” team starring Avdija, there was a “USA Stars” team of younger players and first time All-Stars, and the “USA Stripes” team that included many of the NBA’s most well-known names and All-Stars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Avdija scored five points in the first game of the tournament, which the “World” team lost. They played again in the third game and lost again, which took them out of the tournament. “USA Stars” and “USA Stripes” went head-to-head in the final game and “Stars” won 47-21.
Avdija arrived in Los Angles on Friday for the All-Star Game after playing back-to-back games on the road on Wednesday and Thursday for the Trail Blazers.
“It was a long weekend, I’m going to say that,” Avdija said at a post-game press conference on Sunday. “Great staff all around, great planning of the All-Star Weekend. It was hectic, but it was fun. I was really enjoying the experience. Especially when it’s your first time, you embrace everything a little better. But I hope I can be here for many years to come.”
Before the start of the All-Star Game, Los Angeles Lakers player and 22-time All-Star Lebron James was asked at a press conference about Avdija and replied, “I believe he is an All-Star. He’s playing exceptional basketball.”
James added that he hopes to visit Israel. “Hopefully, someday I can make it over there,” he said. “I’ve never been … but I’ve heard great things.”
Avdija competed in front of a star-studded audience that included American filmmaker Spike Lee sitting courtside in a pro-Palestinian outfit. Lee’s sweater had a black and white keffiyeh pattern and featured a Palestinian flag. Over the sweater, the “Malcolm X” director wore a crossbody bag with the same black and white pattern on the pouch and a strap that was adorned with the colors of the Palestinian flag and two inverted red triangles. The inverted red triangle has been used as a symbol to call for violence against Israelis and Jews, and as a symbol to glorify the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’s terrorism.
