No longer riding pine, Deni Avdija blazes trail of pride for Israel across the NBA

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — A frisson of excited anticipation pulsed through the swiftly emptying Well’s Fargo Center earlier this month as a gaggle of local Philly Jews, including school-aged kids decked out in Sixers gear, waited patiently for their hero to emerge from the visitors’ locker room.

Deni Avdija, who 45 minutes earlier had helped his Portland Trail Blazers hand their hometown 76ers its 39th loss of the season, did not disappoint.

The pride of Herzliya emerged from the locker room eager to meet the throng of admirers, including fellow Israelis like Tai Baribo of the Philadelphia Union soccer club. Avdija shook hands, gave out hugs, and posed for pictures with fans, many of whom were thrilled just to be in the presence of the six-foot-nine forward.

“It feels great. Feels amazing,” said the 24-year-old, who was traded from the Washington Wizards in the offseason. Following a slow start to the year, he is now playing better than ever in the Pacific Northwest. “I love it.”

His new employers have become quite enamored with him, too. “I think Deni’s continuing to improve,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said after the Blazers 119-102 win over Philadelphia on March 3. “I’ve given him some freedom he hasn’t had in the past and we’re continuing to learn more about him.”

Drafted by the Wizards with the ninth overall pick in 2020, Avdija spent much of his first years in the NBA as an occasional starter, often coming off the bench for several minutes per game to spark some offense and provide help on the boards. This year, he has averaged nearly 15 points and over six rebounds a game, numbers that seem to tick higher each game as he overcame a series of disappointing appearances that started the season.

“None of us knew the level he could get to,” Billups said. “We still don’t. He’s appreciated having more freedom with the ball and being able to push it.”

“I just try to keep pushing the limits on him to see how far he can go,” he added.

The basketball world got a taste of the new and improved Avdija in Cleveland on March 2 when he recorded his first career triple-double in the NBA, notching 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in an overtime loss to the first-place Cavs.

In the process, he became only the sixth player in league history to score 30 points off 13 or fewer shots on the way to recording double-digit totals in three stat categories.

Five thousand miles away in the Middle East, Avdija’s hometown fans also took notice.

“People at home obviously congratulated me,” said Avdija. “But I had a game to focus on today.”

“It’s definitely fun to have a triple-double, but the season’s so long and we’re trying to make the playoffs,” said Avdija, who credited fatigue from the feat for his less-than-stellar showing against Philadelphia the next day, scoring just nine points on 3-for-14 shooting to go with six rebounds and four assists. “You’re not going to always have a good game. I was a little more tired because back-to-backs aren’t easy.”

“Fortunately we ended up with the win,” he added.

Avdija bounced back on March 10, dropping a season high 34 points to go with 16 rebounds and six assists against the Golden State Warriors following two days off to recover from a nagging quadriceps injury. The bonanza was not enough to keep the Blazers from losing their fourth straight game, however, with only 16 matchups left to go in the 2024-2025 campaign.

At 28-38, the Trail Blazers are barely holding onto their longshot playoff hopes, needing to make up at least five games to snag the final spot in the NBA’s play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff spots, but a run is possible. Entering the Philly matchup, the team had won five of their last six and 14 of their last 20 games. The Blazers’ losing streak has come during a particularly grueling stretch of their schedule, with matches against several of the league’s top teams, including the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and suddenly resurgent Detroit Pistons and Warriors.

Avdija partly attributed his poor start to the season to difficulty adjusting after being traded to Portland.

“I was back home and it caught me off guard,” he admitted. “But it’s part of the business.

“At first I was a little shocked and the transition wasn’t easy. But I found myself a new family that loves me and wants me to succeed. And I love the way we’re playing,” he added. “I feel I’m getting trusted more. I’m going to my strengths and developing my game.”

Born on a kibbutz in northern Israel to two athletes — Avdija’s father Zufer played basketball in his native Yugoslavia and in Israel, where he currently heads basketball operations for Bnei Herzliya — Avdija is currently the only Israeli player in the NBA, treading a path first taken by 10-year journeyman Omri Casspi but followed by few others.

“Deni is probably the number one ambassador we have in global sports and in America,” declared Tel Aviv native Matan Siman-Tov, who teamed with Avdija’s longtime agent Doug Neustadt to finalize the four-year, $55 million contract extension he signed prior to the start of last season. “He owns up to the responsibility.”

“He feels connected. He feels a part of Israel,” added Siman-Tov. “He has a responsibility as an NBA play to support Israel and Deni does that very well.”

In return, Israelis and Israel supporters have flocked to his games when he comes to town. At the Sixers game, Jerusalemite Lavi Kirel held up an Israeli flag for all to see when Avdija went to the foul line.

“Of course I saw the flag,” smiled Avdija afterward. “It’s awesome and I love it.”

“It’s great to see fans show support,” he added.

The small forward’s teammates say similar displays follow them wherever they play. But the tumult back home, where fighting has raged since October 7, 2023, and dozens remain hostage in Gaza, clearly appears to weigh on him.

“My heart is with all the fallen soldiers’ families and the hostages who are still there,” said Avdija. “It’s been a struggle.”

“My heart is in Israel forever,” he added, before heading out the door to meet his fans.

Billups said he thought worries over the war were a contributing factor to Avdija’s early-season struggles.

“He’s very emotional about it. Very prideful about what was going on,” he said. “We had a lot of discussions about it, along with being traded — that newness and freshness of a new coach and teammates. But more important what was going on back home had a big impact on him.”

“We try to be there for him,” added second-year guard Scoot Henderson. “He doesn’t bring it up that much… But he knows we’re there when he needs us.”