19-year-old Deni Avdija wants to conquer the NBA.
Israel has a new sports superstar: 19-year-old Deni Avdija, who makes his debut for the Washington Wizards in the NBA on Thursday. The NBA is the best basketball league in the world. Anyone who plays there as a foreigner has to be terrific. Avdija’s first game against the Philadelphia 76ers will be broadcast live in Israel at 2 a.m. local time. Avdija is proud: “The whole nation is behind me!” Even if Avdija is not the first Israeli to play in the NBA, no one has received as much attention as him. His trainer Scott Brooks explains that because of the shortened preseason due to the Covid pandemic, he has a good chance of being used immediately for the start. The young man, who played for the best basketball team in Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv, for a while, is not a typical 19-year-old, according to his new coach, but is very mature and experienced as a player. At Maccabi he played alongside Omri Caspi, who was the first Israeli ever to play in the NBA and stayed there for ten seasons before returning to Israel last season. At Avdija’s side, stars like Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook will appear, who absolutely want to support the young Israeli because they recognize his great talent. Since you cannot be out and about at night in Israel because of Corona, it can be assumed that many people will watch their compatriot’s game. And think: “A new star is born!”
