The crowd that filled the Intuit Dome in Inglewood last Sunday had no idea how much excitement one All-Star player was sparking in an entire country thousands of miles away. Team World, which included Israeli forward Deni Avdija, was made up entirely of NBA players from countries such as Cameroon, Jamaica, Greece, Turkey and France. But none of those countries sent a small army of journalists to cover the games, and only a few French or Greek fans crossed oceans just to cheer for “their” player. It’s also unlikely that many Turkish or Cameroonian fans spent $10,000 on a ticket.

At 25, Avdija, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers and is the first Israeli player to appear in an NBA All-Star Game, understood exactly what he represented for Israelis: a reason for national pride after a long and difficult period for Israel in the global media. In an interview before the game, he sounded proud and optimistic, saying he was excited to represent Israel and grateful to the fans who traveled to support him.

When asked what it felt like to be one of the 24 best players in the world, Avdija replied, “It’s amazing. I don’t have many words other than that I worked extremely hard to reach this moment. Nothing came easy. I sacrificed a lot over the years, and I hope to stay here, at this level, for a long time. It’s incredible to know it’s possible.”

Sunday, after Team World lost and Avdija scored five points, he appeared disappointed but tried to project optimism and hope that he would return to the All-Star stage. He said he made an effort to enjoy the moment and felt as though he had stepped onto the court with an entire country behind him. “I can’t thank everyone enough for the support I received,” he said.

His fans — those who traveled from Israel and across the United States and paid thousands of dollars to see him play — were far from disappointed. For them, seeing the Israeli flag on the court and Avdija facing Team USA was worth every dollar.

Los Angeles businessman David Vered, owner of the YMI Jeans company, attended the game with his wife Esther. “It was a great game. We really enjoyed it,” he said. In total, the couple paid $20,000 for two tickets.

Sixteen years earlier, the Vereds lost their eldest son, Adir, at age 17. They attended his memorial that morning before heading to the game. “We love sports. We were at the Super Bowl last week, and of course we wanted to be at the All-Star Game, especially to see Deni play.”

Esther and David Vered

Other Israelis opted for cheaper tickets, which started at $1,600. With flights and hotels, the cost of the trip quickly climbed to $5,000 or more. Yair Fecht flew from Israel to Italy to pick up his grandson Tom, who lives there and plays basketball at an academy in Rome. “This is his bar mitzvah trip,” he said. He had purchased the All-Star tickets six months earlier — before Avdija was selected. “We’ve known Deni from Herzliya. His father coached my son. Deni is incredible, we are big fans.”

Two more boys celebrating their bar mitzvahs in Los Angeles were Adi Shani from Haifa and Eitan Markovich from Ness Ziona, who arrived with their fathers as part of a group organized by the travel company NBATRIPS. According to the company’s owners, 80% of their All-Star packages sold within hours of Avdija’s selection. Prices started at $6,200.

Left to Right: Tal Halutz, Eitan Markovitz, Adi Shani, Alex Figlin

Co-CEO Assi Ohana, who lives in Washington, D.C., traveled with the group alongside his twin brother, Meir, from Israel. “Within a week of the All-Star announcement, we organized the trip and 25 people joined,” he said. “This is a historic day for Israel, and we’re proud to be a small part of it.”

The Intuit Dome, which opened in August 2024 and seats 18,000, features a public basketball court outside where visitors can play. Oded Nevo and his friend Dror Cohen arrived the day before and planned to fly back to Miami, where they both live, the next day. “We came just to see Deni,” Nevo said. “The All-Star Game itself doesn’t interest me as much as seeing Deni play.”

Was it worth flying in for less than two days? “Of course,” Dror replied. “We actually came for a day and a half. We took time off work just for this. I hope Deni knows how much we love and how proud we are of him — all the Israelis in the U.S. and in Israel.”

Tal Shani, who attended with his son Adi, said, “Deni is fulfilling a childhood dream of mine — and now of my son as well. He’s a huge source of pride for Israel.” Thirteen-year-old Adi added, “I’m a big fan. I love also Maccabi Tel Aviv. Deni is an inspiration to me and to every basketball player. Being an All-Star and being Israeli is a dream.”

Not only Israelis visiting from Israel arrived at the Intuit Dome — many local Israelis were there as well. Film producer Ram Bergman (“Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi”) came with his three children, all wearing Deni Avdija jerseys. “I’m his biggest fan,” he said. “I follow him every day. This isn’t the first time I’ve come to see him play — I watched him against the Lakers and at several other games here in town.”

“There’s so much hostility toward Israel,” said Hagai Goren, a student at UC Berkeley. “On my campus, most students lean pro-Palestinian. It’s disheartening to see the amount of hate Israel faces online. That’s why seeing someone like Deni represent our country so positively means a lot to us.”

After the players were introduced and Avdija’s image appeared on the screen next to the Israeli flag, he hugged his coaches and chatted with teammates. From my seat, just six rows from the court, I could see him beaming — glowing with pride.

Two hours later, after Team World had lost once again and I made my way to the postgame press conference, two Israeli fans from Mexico stopped me with a message.

“You’re going to interview Deni? Tell him he’s our greatest pride,” one said. “We’ll be back next year. No doubt he’ll make the All-Star team again — and next time, his team will win.”