Irving, who was not playing in the All-Star Game, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023 shortly after promoting an antisemitic film on his Twitter account and at first refusing to apologize for the tweet.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Neither Lee nor Irving commented publicly about their wardrobe choices at the game.<\/p>\n Avdija scored five points and made four assists in his All-Star debut.<\/p>\n While Avdija\u2019s Team World squad fell short against the league\u2019s top American players, his appearance continued to generate excitement for Israelis, who have viewed his success on the court as a matter of national pride.<\/p>\n \t His jersey featured an Israeli flag on the back, in keeping with the uniform for Team World.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like when I come to play, I come with the entire nation, and it\u2019s fun to show that it\u2019s possible, even for a small country like us,\u201d he said during a postgame press conference, in which most questions were asked and answered in Hebrew.<\/p>\n \t Lebron James, too, was asked by an Israeli reporter about Avdija\u2019s performance and about Israel during his own postgame availability.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I inspire people over there not only to be great in sports, but to be better in general in life,\u201d James said. \u201cHopefully, someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I\u2019ve never been over there, but I\u2019ve heard nothing but great things. I appreciate the question.\u201d<\/p>\n Some cultural events featuring prominent Israelis since the start of the war in Gaza have been subject to anti-Israel demonstrations. There were no disruptions at the All-Star Game, but two prominent fans wore outfits designed to show pro-Palestinian solidarity.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t(From L-R) Dwight Howard, Drederick Irving and Kyrie Irving attend the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Allen Berezovsky \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26046824585327-e1771196876972-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tWorld forward Devin Avdija, of Israel, dunks during the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, February 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo\/Jae C. Hong)<\/p>\n
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