In July 2019, an 18-year-old Deni Avdija stood in front of a packed crowd at the Shlomo Group Arena in Tel Aviv with an MVP trophy in his hands. He had just helped Israel win the FIBA U20 European Championship for the second straight year and had been named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Yet when the moment came to celebrate his individual honor, Avdija quickly pushed the focus away from himself. “There is no one MVP. We are a team!”

He then led the crowd in Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem. At 18, Avdija was already becoming one of the faces of Israeli basketball, and that moment offered a glimpse into what the national team meant to him long before he became an NBA star. Six years later, that same commitment was being tested in a very different way. Avdija had spent years showing up for Israel, including during summers when rest could have been the safer choice for his NBA career.

But this time, he wanted to be there and simply could not. After Israel’s latest qualifying window, the Portland Trail Blazers star explained why. “I usually don’t feel the need to explain myself, but this time it’s important to me to say a few words,” he said in an Instagram Story.

“Anyone who knows me and my way with the Israeli national team knows what this shirt means to me. I came to the team when I was in pain. I came when I wasn’t at 100%. I came during summers when maybe the ‘right’ thing for my personal career was to rest. I came even when I was facing a contract year, a time when any injury could change a career. I never looked for an excuse not to show up. On the contrary. As long as I could wear Israel’s shirt and step onto the court, I was there.”

“This time, I wanted to be there just as much. But this summer I dealt with a complex back injury. An injury that those who haven’t gone through it really can’t understand what it demands, and the decision not to participate in this window wasn’t one I made alone. Portland wasn’t willing to take a risk with my health, and in the situation that arose, I simply didn’t have the option to step up and play.”

The back problem was not coming out of nowhere. Avdija had already dealt with lower-back tightness and spasms during Portland’s season. He first suffered the issue during a January game against the Phoenix Suns, playing only one minute before leaving. He then missed three straight games before returning to the lineup.

The problem surfaced again in February. After aggravating the back issue, Avdija missed 16 of Portland’s next 24 games. It was a significant stretch of time for a player who had become an important part of the Trail Blazers’ rotation.

But Avdija eventually got back on the court.

He returned to finish the season and even played 32 minutes while scoring 22 points in Game 5 of Portland’s playoff series against San Antonio on April 29. He also appeared in 66 games during the regular season, showing that he was able to return from the earlier problem and continue playing a major role for the Trail Blazers.

That part of the timeline matters because it makes the summer situation more complicated. Avdija had been able to return and play through the end of Portland’s season, but the back remained an issue as he moved into the offseason. He described the problem he was dealing with this summer as a “complex back injury” and said it required continued physical therapy.

And Portland had plenty of reason to be careful.

Avdija was coming off the biggest season of his NBA career. He had played a major role for the Trail Blazers, earned his first All-Star selection and helped Portland reach the playoffs. He was no longer simply a young player trying to establish himself in the league. He had become an important piece of the team.

So there was a clear conflict. Avdija wanted to represent Israel, while Portland did not want to risk his health while he was still dealing with the back issue.

The situation had already been developing for weeks.

When Israel opened camp in June, head coach Ariel Beit Halachmi explained that Avdija and Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf were unavailable for the July window because of injuries and NBA-related restrictions. Even then, there was hope that Avdija could return for the next round of games.

“The reasons they are not here are related to the players’ injuries, both in Brooklyn and Portland, and there’s not much we can do about that,” Beit Halachmi said. “We know that Deni and Ben came every time they were able to. I think there’s a pretty high chance we’ll see them in the next window, and I hope we’ll have them available in August.”

That August return never came.

Instead, Israel entered another important stretch of World Cup qualifying without Avdija. The team first suffered a 106-86 loss to Poland on August 27 and then fell 85-70 to Latvia on August 30. The second loss dropped Israel to 2-6 in Group K and officially eliminated the team from contention for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, with four qualifying games still remaining.

For a player who had spent years making himself available to Israel, watching from the sidelines had to be particularly difficult.

And Israel was not simply missing a familiar name.

Avdija had become one of the country’s most important players. At EuroBasket 2025, he averaged 24.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while carrying a major role on offense. His size also allowed him to contribute as a rebounder, playmaker and defender, giving Israel a player who could affect the game in several different ways.

His absence did not guarantee that Israel would have won either game. But it did leave the team without one of its biggest offensive and all-around pieces during a window in which there was very little room for error.

Still, the results were not the only reason Avdija felt the need to speak.

There was also the question of his commitment

He had already helped Israel win U20 European Championship gold in 2018 and 2019 before becoming a senior national-team player. He later represented the country at EuroBasket 2022 and 2025. His own statement also pointed to the times he had played while dealing with pain, while not being at 100%, and during a contract year when an injury could have affected his career.

This time, the decision was not entirely in his hands.

Avdija acknowledged that criticism is part of representing a country and said he understood why people could be disappointed. But he made it clear that he did not want his dedication to Israel questioned.

“One thing I’m not willing to have questioned is my commitment to the national team and my country,” Avdija said. “I think I’ve proven it time and again with actions.”

That statement takes the story back to where it began.

The teenager who stood in front of his home crowd in Tel Aviv with an MVP trophy and reminded everyone that Israel was a team is now an established NBA star dealing with a very different kind of challenge. This time, he could not simply decide to put on the jersey and play.

For now, his priority is getting healthy.

“There’s nothing I want more than to be healthy, get back on the court, and wear Israel’s shirt again. And until then, even when I can’t be on the floor, my heart is there.”

Israel’s World Cup qualification campaign is over, but Avdija’s message makes one thing clear: his absence from this window was not a choice to walk away from the national team. It was a decision made around an injury he wanted to recover from, while his desire to wear that jersey again remained unchanged.