Deni Avdija is an Israeli-Serbian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. In 2020, Avdija registered for the NBA draft and was chosen by the Washington Wizards. He also plays for Israel’s senior national basketball team. Interestingly, Avdija is the only Israeli player playing in the NBA as of yet.
Notably, Avdija was the subject of recent controversy on social media. This occurred after he posted a photo consisting of an Israeli flag in his locker room. It’s important to note that there is an ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, with many innocent people losing their lives on both lands. Avdija’s social media activity did not go down well with the NBA community.
Many fans criticized the Wizards player for freely posting his nation’s flag amidst the ongoing conflict between the two nations. However, Deni Avdija would remain unfazed by this. He has not shied away from supporting his nation in the past.
During a game between the Atalanta Hawks and Wizards in 2023, Deni Avdija sang the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah,” with the Atalanta Israeli supporters group. This showcases his love and respect for his nation despite the ongoing conflict and hate he has received on social media.
Deni Avdija has been a stellar player for the Wizards. He finished the 2023-24 season with career highs in every major statistical category. He averaged 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. During the offseason, he was traded to the Trailblazers for a fresh start. It remains to be seen if the Israeli star will make a huge leap in his game during the upcoming season.
Former NBA player Patrick Beverly opens up on his move to join Israeli side Tel Aviv
Former NBA star Patrick Beverley opted to leave the NBA after 12 seasons and joined the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Beverley will be playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv BC in Israel. In the most recent episode of his podcast, Beverley emphasized the ongoing challenges in Israel.
The challenges are not particularly on the court. Pat Bev underlined that safety is his first priority. The former NBA star even stated that he is just ‘a bomb away’ from returning to the United States.
People tell me, ‘Hey, you know it’s war?’ ‘Oh, OK, cool. You’ve been there? You’ve seen it? Or you’re just hearing about stuff that you see on TV?’ It’s mind-boggling to me that everyone all of a sudden is a CNN reporter. ‘Did you know, did you know, did you know?’- that’s all I hear.
Patrick Beverley via his official podcast
Beverley also mentioned the drone incident in Tel Aviv, which killed one person and injured ten more. The former NBA star admitted he would flee the country if an identical situation arose. He also commented on fans acting as reporters, offering their thoughts on the current situation. As of yet, there are no signs of Beverly leaving Tel Aviv unless something drastic changes.
