Israeli Deni Avdija to make NBA debut
The former player for Maccabi Tel Aviv could become the first international basketball star to come out of Israel.
A potential star Israeli basketball player will make his debut in the National Basketball Association (NBA) tonight. Deni Avdija’s career has been heavily covered in Israeli media, and some think he could be the country’s first international basketball superstar.
Avdija and the Washington Wizards will face the Philadelphia 76ers on the road to open their NBA season.
Avdija previously played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He was a sought-after pick in this year’s NBA draft, going ninth overall to the Wizards. The 19-year-old small forward was born in Israel to a Jewish Israeli mother and a Muslim Serbian father. His mother was a track and field athlete, and his father, Zufer, came to Israel to play professional basketball.
A handful of Israelis have played in the NBA. Omri Casspi was first and spent several years in the league before returning to Israel last year.
