Avdija falls short of NBA All-Star starting lineup, still has hope to be a reserve
While fans rate Israeli hoopster in top 5, players and media rank him lower, putting him 7th overall; coaches will now select the 7 non-starters for Feb. 12 game
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Portland Trail Blazers’ Israeli forward Deni Avdija on Monday fell outside the top five on ballots submitted by fans, players and journalists whose votes determine the starting lineups for the NBA All-Star basketball game next month.
While he placed fifth on the fan rank, he only placed tenth in the player rank and ninth in the media rank, finishing a combined seventh in the Western Conference voting, just two spots shy of a starting bid.
While missing out on the top five, he placed ahead of NBA icons like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, who’s still on the court at age 41. The top overall vote-getters in the West were Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steph Curry, Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson and Jaylen Brown topped the Eastern Conference tally.
Fan balloting counted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the five starters selected from each conference, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for the remaining 25% each. All-Stars are selected without regard to position.
The reserves on each team will be selected by coaches.
Avdija still has a good chance to become the first Israeli player to be named an All-Star through the coaches’ vote, which will be revealed on February 1. Seven players will be selected from each conference ahead of the game in Inglewood, California, on February 12.
דני אבדיה סיים שביעי בסה״כ במירוץ לחמישיות לאולסטאר במערב.
2.2 מיליון קולות מהאוהדים (הצליח לעקוף בסוף את וומבי ואנט)
35 קולות מהשחקנים (!), עשירי בקונפרנס. מפתיע לטובה האמת.
רק 3 קולות מהתקשורת… 2 חוץ ממני1000% אולסטאר pic.twitter.com/XadWTS6kEo
— Yoav Modai (@Yoav_Modai) January 19, 2026
The 6-foot-8 (203-cm) Avdija is in the midst of a breakout season after entering the US league six years ago. His 26.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game have analysts predicting he’ll make the Western Conference team this year.
In December, Avdija passed Omri Casspi to become Israel’s all-time leading NBA scorer in his sixth season.
Casspi, a retired player who spent a decade in the NBA, was the first Israeli in the league. This year, two more Israeli rookies joined, both playing for the Brooklyn Nets: Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf.
The All-Star Game will see two teams of American players and one team of international players competing in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games.
Born on Kibbutz Beit Zera in northern Israel in January 2001, Avdija was destined for hoops greatness, being coached by his father Zufer, who himself played basketball in his native Yugoslavia and in Israel, where he currently heads basketball operations for Bnei Herzliya.
Avdija began his professional career when he was still a kid, playing his first games for Maccabi Tel Aviv at age 16 and leading the club to three titles in the three years he spent in the top Israeli league. He became the youngest-ever league MVP in his final year at age 19.
Avdija spent four seasons with the Washington Wizards before joining Portland at the beginning of last season. His points-per-game average has risen every year.
The Times of Israel Community.