Deni Avdija became the first Israeli selected to the NBA All-Star Game, turning what had seemed like a long shot dream just months ago into reality overnight.
The Portland Trail Blazers forward was named one of the 24 players chosen for the All-Star event, to be held February 15 in Los Angeles. Avdija will be part of the international team, which also includes Nikola Jokic, Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Avdija narrowly missed selection to the All-Star starting lineup, finishing seventh in Western Conference voting. He was later added to the full roster by Western Conference coaches as one of seven reserve players.
Despite dealing in recent weeks with a lingering back injury, Avdija is not expected to miss the showcase event.
For Avdija, who entered the NBA in 2020 after being selected in the draft by the Washington Wizards, the All-Star nod marks another milestone in a breakout season and the clearest sign yet of his rise from a rotation player to a bona fide star. Selection to the league’s top 24 players, based on talent, popularity and league-wide respect, is considered one of the NBA’s highest individual honors and often carries financial incentives written into player contracts.
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Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokic will play alongside Avdija
(Photo: AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The 2026 All-Star event will feature a new format, with three teams competing: two teams of American players and one international squad, known as Team World, which will include Avdija. The teams will play a round-robin tournament of three 12-minute games, with the top two advancing to a championship game. Each roster will include eight players.
Starters were selected through a weighted vote of fans (50%), current players (25%) and media members (25%), divided by Eastern and Western conferences. Avdija finished seventh overall among Western Conference players, ranking fifth in fan voting, ninth among media and 10th among players. Coaches later completed the rosters, a decision widely seen as reflecting Avdija’s growing stature around the league.
The Eastern Conference starters are Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, Jaylen Brown of Boston, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Cade Cunningham of Detroit and Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia. The Western Conference starters are Stephen Curry of Golden State, Jokic of Denver, Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio.
Avdija’s historic selection caps a dramatic rise that has unfolded since the start of the season and follows a steady development over his first five years in the league. As a rookie with Washington, he averaged 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. This season, through 44 games, he is averaging 25.5 points, ranking 14th in the NBA, along with 7.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
His strongest month came in November, when he averaged 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists, including two triple-doubles, part of four in his career. In January, Avdija scored a season-high 41 points in a 103-102 victory over Houston, though he also missed five games due to his back injury.
Avdija signed a four-year, $55 million contract with Washington in 2023, a deal that at the time was viewed as a significant investment in a young player still searching for consistency. This season, he is earning $14.3 million, a figure now considered modest relative to his production. Reports in the United States have already begun to focus on a future contract that would further elevate his standing within the league.
After his All-Star selection and amid a season in which he has become the face of Portland’s franchise, such a deal appears increasingly inevitable.