Deni Avdija
The forward led the national team in points, rebounds and assists at the EuroBasket tournament.
The 21-year-old Israeli has the distinction of being one of only five NBA players to play in all 82 regular season games.
“He is the pride of the Jewish people. We always come out to support Deni,” says Matisyahu Zamir, a student at the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach in Woodmere, N.Y.
“It is just good vibes—this holiday in Israel when I was growing up. You had sufganiyot everywhere, songs, menorahs. I wait every year to celebrate it,” said the 20-year-old Washington Wizards player.
The Washington Wizards player says he’d like to continue being a goodwill ambassador for Israel and Judaism, much like his friend and mentor Omri Casspi did during his 10 years in the NBA.
The 20-year-old scored four points, had three rebounds and one assist in only 16 minutes of play. Nevertheless, the Wizards lost to the Knicks 117-99.
Washington Wizards’ general manager Tommy Sheppard says like the rest of the players, Avdija will have to prove himself in the pre-season and earn his playing time. He adds that the 20-year-old is a “very clever playmaker. I think he’ll be able to help us.”
The 20-year-old got off to a fast start, only to get injured and have to sit out 18 games, as the Washington Wizards went to the playoffs, eventually ceding to the Philadelphia 76ers.
It comes as the Wizards are enjoying a six-game winning streak, the longest since 2017.
Cheering on the now 20-year-old: the Israeli embassy, former NBA player Omri Casspi, players from the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club and National Team, and fans of Israel everywhere.
“I think I’m acclimating pretty quickly this year, and am continuing to work to get better,” says Avdija, who is averaging 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 29 games this season.
Making friends, learning the city, sharing Hebrew, supporting local residents, even going for a Chick-fil-A run, the 19-year-old is knee-deep in getting to know American culture.