Israeli basketball player Deni Avdija was selected on Sunday evening for the NBA All-Star game, marking the first time an israeli player has been selected for the event.
The game will be held on February 15 at the Intuit Dome, the home arena of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Trail Blazers star finished seventh among vote-getters in the West and did not secure an automatic ticket through the combined tally of fan, player, and media voting. However, he was named as one of the top seven reserves in the West, a decision made by the league’s 30 head coaches.
More fans voted for the Israeli than for LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and many others.
The selection recognized the Israeli player's remarkable season, during which he has drawn praise from some of the biggest names in the game, including LeBron James, leading media outlets in the United States, and fans across the league.
The 25-year-old Avdija is in the midst of the best season of his career, averaging 25.5 points per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three-point range, and 80 percent from the free-throw line. He is also averaging 7.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game for Portland.
All-Star game format changes once again
Avdija ranked fifth in fan voting in the West with 2.2 million votes. Only Luka Dončić with 3.4 million, Nikola Jokic with 2.9 million, Stephen Curry with 2.8 million, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 2.3 million finished ahead of him.
The All-Star format has changed once again this season. Instead of East versus West, the event will feature three teams of eight players each competing against one another: two American teams and one international team that includes Avdija.
Each team will play the others once in short 12-minute games. After the first three games, the two teams with the best records will advance to the final, where the champion will be crowned. If all three teams finish with a 1-1 record, the tiebreaker will be point differential.