Deni Avdija addressed his absence from the Israeli national team during the recent World Cup qualifying windows and responded to the criticism he received as a result. The Portland star issued a lengthy statement clarifying that he wanted to join the team, but a back injury he suffered and the decision of his NBA team prevented him from doing so.
Avdija was also absent from the August window that ended on Sunday, with the Basketball Association having already announced when the roster was published that Portland did not approve his participation. In fact, as early as July, team manager Motti Daniel explained that Avdija was suffering from a back injury and that Portland had vetoed his participation.
'I came when I wasn't at 100%'
"I usually don't feel the need to explain myself, but this time it is important to me to say a few words," Avdija wrote. "Anyone who knows me and my path with the Israeli national team knows what this jersey means to me. I came to the national team when I was in pain. I came when I wasn't at 100%. I came during summers when it might have been most 'right' for my personal career to rest. I also came when I was facing a contract year, a period when any injury could change a career. I never looked for an excuse not to come. On the contrary. As long as I could wear the Israeli jersey and step onto the court, I was there."
He went on to explain the reason for his absence: "This time I wanted to be there just as much. But this summer I dealt with a complex back injury. An injury that anyone who hasn't experienced it cannot truly understand what it requires. And the decision not to participate in this window was not a decision I made alone. Portland was not willing to take a risk with my health, and in the situation that was created, I simply had no option to go out and play."
responding to public criticism
Avdija also directly addressed the criticism he received following his absence: "I understand disappointment. I understand criticism. When you represent a country and there are expectations of you, that is part of it and I accept it. But one thing I am not willing to let anyone question: My commitment to the national team and my country. I don't need to say how much I care. I think I have proven it time and again through my actions."
In conclusion, he wrote: "There is nothing I want more than to be healthy, return to the court, and wear the Israeli jersey again. And until then, even when I can't be on the floor, my heart is there."