Kibbutz Kid, Deni Avdija, Makes Good With Portland Blazers

 Nadene Goldfoot

                                                                        

      Portland, Oregon's Israeli Basketball Player

Deni Avdija was born in kibbutz Beit Zera in Israel. His mother, Sharon Artzi, an Israeli Jew from the kibbutz, is a former track and field and basketball player. His father, Zufer Avdija, is an Israeli citizen of Gorani–Serbian heritage  who played basketball for the Yugoslavia national team before moving to Israel to play for Israeli teams

NBA star Deni Avdija from Portland Trail Blazers breaks Israel’s all-time scoring record. Away to go Deni !!!!

Deni Avdija (/ˈdɛni əvˈdiːjə/ DEN-ee əv-DEE-yə; Hebrew: דֶנִי אָבְדִיָה; born 3 January 2001) soon to be 25, is an Israeli professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the small forward position, and is nicknamed "Turbo" for his fast-paced drive and aggressive playing style.     

 From 2017 to 2020 he played for the Maccabi Tel Aviv. From 2020 to 2024 he played for the Washington Wizards.

The son of former Serbian-Gorani basketball player Zufer Avdija, he started playing basketball in the fourth grade for his hometown club Bnei Herzliya Basket, and then in 2013 for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He excelled as a youth player. He debuted for their senior team in 2017, at age 16, becoming the youngest player in club history. Two years later, he became the youngest player to ever win the Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP award, and led his team to the Israeli Basketball Premier League championship.

Portland Trail Blazers (2024–present)

On 6 July 2024, Avdija was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Bub Carrington, Malcolm Brogdon, and several draft selections.

On March 2, 2025, Avdija recorded his first triple-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He recorded his second triple-double on April 2, 2025, in a game against the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, in 38 minutes of playing time.

Avdija averaged 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists over the 13 games he played in March 2025, doing so while shooting 51.0% on field goals, and 45.7% on Three-point attempts. This was the most productive month of Avdija's career up to this point, garnering attention from multiple sources across the league.Only one Israeli player, Deni Avdija, has played for the Portland Trail Blazers, joining them in 2024 and quickly becoming a key player and the first Israeli-born player in the NBA to record a triple-double, making history for Israeli basketball. 

Four Jewish players will play in the NBA this season. Their teams go from coast to coast and each project to make big impacts for their teams this season. Deni is one.  

Deni Avdija's Impact

Historic Trade: Avdija, a forward from Beit Zera, Israel, was traded to Portland from the Washington Wizards in the 2024 offseason.

• All-Time Scoring: He became Israel's all-time leading NBA scorer during the 2025-2026 season.
• Key Player: He emerged as a franchise cornerstone, leading the team in scoring and playmaking, notes The Jerusalem Post. 

Avdija can't go wrong with athletic parents.  He's bound to perform well, we figure.  

 Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deni_Avdija