Deni Avdija is the poster boy whose image hangs in the bedroom of every kid who has just stepped out for the first time onto a basketball court. The boy from Herzliya, who at the age of 16 and a half was playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv and three years later was picked ninth in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, is now considered one of the most promising prospects in the world's best basketball league.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
This week, at the age of just 21, he completed his second season with the Wizards. His team ended the season with 35 wins and 47 losses and didn't manage to make the playoffs, but Avdija, who has been in top form in recent weeks, made it into a particularly respectable top five list: He was one of the only five players in the league who played in each of his team's 82 games.
Today, with a contract worth $4.7 million a season and a $200,000 hike due for next season, Avdija is the top-earning Israeli athletes in the world and also the one with the most promising future. But when the spotlights are off, Avdija reveals that life in the NBA wasn't always so easy.
"That may sound strange, because I play in the NBA and have fulfilled a dream, but the first year was one of the most difficult in my life," Avdija says in a call from his home in Washington. "Everything just happened at once. The intensity of the games, getting used to a new home and being lonely because of the distance from family and friends. I got sick with COVID, I suffered a bad injury; it was a very challenging year. Today, after my second season, I can say that I can see myself playing here for as long as possible."
Q: Until the end of your career?
"Perhaps toward the end of my career, I'll come back home. Maccabi Tel Aviv is the club where I grew up and if it works out, I would be happy to come back there in the future. But that's a long way off at the moment. My place is here, no question about it."
'Compelled to excel'
Something has clicked for Avdija in the past few months. While his team may not have succeeded in making the playoffs, from a personal perspective, he reminded everyone what a fantastic player he is and what enormous potential he has. After a period in which his game stuttered, he didn't show his full potential and spent a lot of time on the bench, his shots have been going in and his passes have been accurate.
Q: The first time we spoke was right after he scored a career-high 21 points in the win over the Detroit Pistons.
"Great timing," he laughs. "That was a good feeling after a long time when things weren't working out. But I always knew what I was capable of and that the day would come when I'd show my ability. I won't break records every day, but I want to maintain stability."
Q: What does that depend on?
"An NBA team is an equation with a lot of variables. It depends on the coaching staff, on the players playing alongside you, on what role you play, but Washington believed in me and the fact is that they picked me in the draft. The team wants me to succeed and as the season went on, I felt it more and more and became more mature in my game. I can feel the team's support."
Q: Is it also a question of self-confidence?
"It's about believing in your ability. Getting up every morning, no matter whether you scored 20 points or two points, and just continuing to work hard on the same things. Because you know, this league has a short memory and what you do tomorrow is what's important. You can't get too down, but you can't get too excited about things, either. Now my feeling is good, but tomorrow I could only make only five points and feel completely different. Even in games that don't go so well, I try to stick with the feeling that everything's cool and that things like that can happen. There were games where I didn't score any points and I said to myself, 'I'm only human and it's only sports.'"
Q: Did being picked ninth in the draft add to the pressure on you?
"There is pressure, but not the kind of pressure where you're compelled to excel. There is a lot of time here to develop and work on your game, and you get a lot of opportunities. I never felt pressured because I know what I bring to the team. At the end of the day, I want to be a good player, for myself, and to realize my potential, and I'm doing everything I can to make it happen."
Acclimatizing to life in the United States wasn't easy for a young player who had just come from Israel after winning three championships with Maccabi Tel Aviv and two European championships with Israel's under-20 team. In Washington, the rookie found out the game plan is a little different, and in his first season found out that two big stars, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, play there and that the role of the rest of the players is mostly to help them.
"It was really difficult for me," says Avdija. "You aren't used to their style of playing, but you have to adapt. That's the trick, and I've always known how to adapt wherever I've played. To build myself up through defensive work or as a complementary, and then slowly, slowly you get the ball and create more output and prove why you were picked. Today, I understand that I won't be dominant in every game, but it's important for me to repeat my good moves and to know where I'm good, and where less so."
Q: Is it an honor to guard a superstar like LeBron?
"It's a great honor. You respect players like that, but on the court, I don't see a difference whether I'm playing against LeBron or the ninth player on the roster of the opposing team. When I got the ball against him, I didn't have any problem taking him to the basket. It's not something I was afraid to do. You learn to make the switch in your head before the games but afterward, you say to yourself, 'We beat LeBron, you witnessed history.' That isn't the kind of player you meet every day, especially not a player that you grew up watching. It's insane and it's part of the fun of being in the NBA."
A special event
Avdija scored 17 points when Washington beat the Los Angeles Lakers 127:119 in a game in which LeBron James became the second-highest scorer of all time, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
"That was a special event," says Avdija. "It was the first time that I've taken part in a historic game. To see an achievement like that is incredible. Especially when it's a player like LeBron, whom everybody here respects. It was just a shame for me that at the moment he hit the record, I wasn't on the court. But the main thing is we won. We spoiled his celebration a little, but that's the way it is, we don't mess around here."
There are no sentiments in the NBA – you do what's good for the system and in a trade, the player often isn't even asked. You can be packed out to Oklahoma or Memphis from one day to the next in exchange for a player that management thinks is better for the team. In Avdija's case, the deadline for a trade was three in the afternoon.
"Usually on game day I go I take a rest at 2:00 in the afternoon," he says recalling the fateful moments. "My agentת Matan Siman-Tovת was at my apartment and we were waiting for updates. I said to him, 'let me know what happens and where I'm moving, and let me know even if I'm not. I can't take all the pressure anymore, I'm going to sleep'
"The problem is, it doesn't always depend on you alone. There are things such as your standing in the team or the way the team plays and what management wants. So one day they can just trade you to another town and you don't even control your future. I do what I can when it comes to things that I can control."
Q: Were you happy that you weren't traded?
"Sure. You think I want to move my whole apartment to another town?"
Fast and intensive
Judging by the numbers – an average of 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, two assists, and 24.2 minutes per game. It looks like Avdija's second season in the NBA was a lot easier for him, among other things, because he got a lot more confident. And because the dominant duo of Beal and Westbrook was split up after the latter moved to the Lakers.
In a win last week over Minnesota, Avdija even got aggressive and signaled with his hand to Jaden McDaniels "too small." In the win over Atlanta, he reached an impressive milestone of 1,000 points in the NBA.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
"This season was a completely different story," he says. The players know me and I know their positions because I've already played against them, and I'm not in shock when I come to a new arena and see big players. I'm a lot more experienced. The more I play, the more I understand the game and read situations. It's a lot more enjoyable for me and I feel that as time goes by it will become even easier."
Q: In what way is the game in the US different from Europe?
"It's a lot more intense and fast-paced, and the players here are at a far higher athletic level than in Europe. There are players here that sometimes you look at their abilities and you just say 'Wow, look how high he jumps, look how fast he plays.' But the big difference is in the number of games and all the flights. It's completely different."
A regular NBA season includes 82 games, 41 home and 41 away, that are packed into a six-month season. At the beginning of March for example, from March 1-6, Washington played three home games against Detroit, Atlanta, and Indiana, and then, from March 9-14, four away games, two of them in LA against the Clippers and the Lakers, and then they flew to Portland and finished the road trip against Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.
"It's difficult, mentally and physically," says Avdija. "Sometimes you get to your hotel at 3:00 a.m. and then you have to play in the evening. You have to know how long your body needs to rest before a game and how long you need to sleep. And if you've had a game that wasn't so good, you have to wake up and play better. It's madness.
"People see me play on Friday and then the next day on Saturday, day after day. It might not look difficult but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Finishing a home game after two overtimes and then flying to a new location and preparing for another game is crazy, especially on the body, and especially for a player like me, who hasn't got a lot of experience with things like that. A lot of times, fatigue caught up with me."
Q: Do you get to see the towns you play in?
"I try to balance between life and basketball. If we're in a fun, attractive town, I find a good restaurant or something else to do. I have lots of friends in LA, New York, and Miami, so I'm never short of company. But you have to differentiate between having a good time and concentrating on the game that night. After all, I'm not there on vacation."
Massive coverage
Amid the current wave of terrorist attacks in Israel, Avdija played against Orlando with the words Am Yisrael Chai (Long live the people of Israel) painted on his sneakers.
"We have Israeli TV on at home 24/7," says Avdija. "I saw what was going on in Israel and I wanted to express my support and solidarity for all the people of Israel."
That solidarity is mutual. Everywhere Avdija goes, he gets huge support from Jewish and Israeli fans – sometimes even from those supporting the rival team.
"It's difficult for me to explain that support," he says. "I hope it never stops. Wherever I go, I see Israeli flags and people shout out to me, 'Deni! Deni!' It's really moving."
Q: Do you have any special memories and experiences in that context?
"Last season, in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the first time we played in front of a crowd after covid, I remember leaving the court after the game and all the arena shouting 'Deni!' I was in shock; they were all Knicks fans.
"I remember my teammates looking at me incredulously. They said, 'They're not supporting New York, they're supporting you.' When people ask me for autographs I always sign, I never skip anybody. I play for the audience, I play for the fans and the country and try to show love back. I don't always succeed."
That love is also one of the factors that are made Avdija the foreign player who might get the most coverage in the NBA. All Washington's games are broadcast live on the Sports Channel in Israel. Every game gets huge headlines and analysis at home, and when things don't work out for him, internet comments are sometimes toxic or critical.
"Because of the massive coverage, everything I do comes under more scrutiny," says Avdija. "There are players in the league who have games that weren't as good or didn't score, but nobody noticed because they aren't covered at the level that I am.
"I love it because it means people are interested and want me to succeed. I take it in a good direction. Of course, when things aren't so successful and the coverage isn't so good, it's a downer, but I'm there isn't a single athlete in the world who doesn't want attention and I'm very happy that I have that stage."
Growing up quickly
Avdija lives in a suburb of Washington DC, just a short drive away from the Wizards' training facility and its home arena, the Capital One Arena. Living out there gives him a little quiet, but also allows him not to be too far from things. His mother, Sharon, lives with him in DC and accompanies him everywhere. His father, Zufer Avdija, a former basketball player, has remained r in Israel, where he is the general manager for State Cup winners Bnei Herzliya.
"My mom has been with me all the way behind the scenes, and a lot of my success is down to her," says Avdija. "She makes sure that I eat properly, manages my schedule, and deals with my accounts. She's the best. It would have been really difficult for me to manage without her.
Q: You're at an age where your friends in Israel haven't left home yet.
"I grew up quickly. At the age of 16, I was already playing with the first team. Everybody around me had families and they were talking about weddings and children. What do I understand about that? But you learn quickly and you know what you have to sacrifice for success."
Q: Is the distance from your father good or bad?
"I miss him a lot, but seeing him succeed with Bnei Herzliya makes me really happy. He's enjoying himself and doing a great job there. A lot of people don't know him well; they know him more because of his crazy suits and special personality but behind all that is someone really intelligent and smart. I'm not saying that because he's my father, but because he has a huge heart. He is somebody that wants things to be good to work out for everyone and for them to succeed. I'm happy that I've managed to do that.
Q: Your father says that you clashed sometimes
"He's strict. My mother spoils me and my father is strict. He pushed me into getting along by myself and said I have to be more independent. It wasn't always easy, my father and I argued a lot. I'm very different from him. Is that good? Depends who you ask."
Q: What do you miss most in Israel?
"The beach. I spent a lot of time at the beach, especially in Herzliya. Of course, I miss my family, my grandparents, and my friends. We're in contact via Instagram and we talk on FaceTime. I see them having fun and where they're going. The distance isn't easy for me. I miss the food as well, even though there's great food here."
Avdija is the third Israeli in the world's best basketball league, after Omri Caspi and Gal Mekel, and he could become the most successful Israeli hoop player of all time. Other Israeli talents may follow in his footsteps and head for the NBA. In the meantime, he is surrounded by a very supportive environment that includes not only his mother, Sharon, but also his agent, Siman-Tov, who has been with him for a long time.
"Matan is like my big brother," says Avdija. "We know how to separate friendship and our player-agent relationship in which guides me and shows me how I need to conduct myself. He is an inseparable part of who I am and where I have reached, and he knows how to manage things. I call him whenever there are problems, but sometimes there's nothing that can be done and you just have to know how to cope with it by yourself."
