Deni Avdija
Updated: Wikipedia source
Deni Avdija ( DEN-ee əv-DEE-yə; Hebrew: דֶנִי אָבְדִיָה; born 3 January 2001) 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. In 2020, Avdija declared for the NBA draft and was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the 9th overall pick. He is also a member of the Israeli senior national basketball team. He has won two gold medals for Israel at the youth level, including at the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship, where he was named tournament's most valuable player.