Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has been recognized for his stellar play for Israel at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament.
Avdija was named to the EuroBasket 2025 All-Star Second Team after averaging 24 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2 steals through six tournament games. The remaining Second Team spots featured Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen (Finland), forward Cedi Osman (Turkey) and guard Jordan Loyd (Poland).
Avdija led Israel
into the knockout rounds as the fourth-place finisher in Group D, but the dark horse team was eliminated in the Round of 16 by an 84-79 loss to heavyweight Greece. The loss ended Israel’s tournament run with a 3-3 record. Avdija’s points-per-game average was the third highest in the tournament, an output headlined by a 34-point outburst in a group-play loss to Slovenia. Another notable performance saw the 6-foot-9 forward register 23 points (on 70% shooting), eight rebounds and five steals in an upset win against France. After struggling in EuroBasket prep games with his 3-point shot, Avdija also shot a respectable 35.6% from deep during the tournament.
The EuroBasket All-Star First Team — dubbed simply, the All-Star Five — was made up entirely of current NBA players: Sacramento Kings veteran guard Dennis Schroder (Germany), Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner (Germany) and Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun (Turkey).
EuroBasket 2025 wrapped up Sunday, with Germany defeating Turkey 88-83 in the championship. Schroder registered 14 points and 12 assists in the final on his way to becoming tournament MVP. In the third-place game, Greece beat Finland 92-89 behind Antetokounmpo’s 30 points (on 81.8% shooting) and 17 rebounds. Former Oregon Ducks star Tyler Dorsey was Greece’s second leading scorer with 20 points in the win.
