For a few brief moments on Sunday night at the NBA All-Star festivities in Inglewood, California, the spotlight shifted from dunks and three-pointers to Israel.
What began as a straightforward basketball question about Deni Avdija quickly spiraled into a social media firestorm after LeBron James offered a simple message to Israeli fans – and was immediately attacked online for it.
Avdija, who made history as the first Israeli to appear in an NBA All-Star Game, was already a point of pride back home. The Portland forward’s breakout season earned him recognition among the league’s elite, and his presence at the 75th edition of the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome marked another milestone for Israeli basketball.
During a pregame press conference, James was asked what message he had for fans in Israel and what he thought about Avdija’s season.
“I’ve been quoted on Deni already and what I thought about his season,” James said. “I believe he’s an All-Star – and he is an All-Star. He’s playing exceptional basketball, so that’s that.”
Lebron James was criticised online after praising Israel
Then came the line that triggered the backlash.
“If I have fans over there – I’ve never been there – I hope you’ve been following my career. I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but be better in general in life. Hopefully someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard nothing but great things.”
It was, by most standards, a routine, non-political answer. But in the current climate, even neutral words about Israel rarely remain neutral for long.
Within hours, British-American commentator Mehdi Hasan posted on X: “What a disgrace LeBron is.”
Hasan, who has been sharply critical of Israel since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, did not elaborate extensively in that specific post, but the tone was clear. Others on social media followed suit, accusing James of ignoring Palestinian suffering or suggesting that praising Israel in any form was inappropriate amid the ongoing conflict.
Some users went further, attacking his legacy and even twisting his words to imply support for violence – despite the fact that James made no political statement whatsoever.
For Israeli fans watching from home, the reaction felt both familiar and telling.
James did not endorse a policy. He did not comment on the war. He did not take sides in a geopolitical debate. He praised an Israeli player’s performance and expressed hope that he inspires people “to be better in general in life.” Yet even that was enough to provoke outrage.
In Israel, many saw the episode as another example of how the country’s mere mention – even in a sporting context – has become a trigger point internationally.
Deni Avdija avoids the controversy
Avdija himself stayed out of the controversy. The 25-year-old, who logged limited minutes in the new round-robin All-Star format, has largely focused on basketball throughout his NBA career. As the only active Israeli player in the league, he has often quietly carried the weight of representation, letting his game speak for itself.
For Israeli basketball fans, the larger story remained Avdija’s achievement. From his early days with Maccabi Tel Aviv to becoming a lottery pick and now an All-Star, his journey represents a breakthrough moment for the sport locally. Seeing one of the greatest players in NBA history publicly validate his season was, for many, the headline.
But the backlash also underscored a broader reality: global superstars now operate in an environment where even the safest remarks can be politicized instantly.
James has previously spoken out on a range of social justice issues in the United States, most notably during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. That history likely intensified criticism from some activists who expect consistency across all global conflicts. Others, however, defended him, arguing that a basketball press conference is neither the time nor the place for complex geopolitical commentary.
In Israel, reactions were mixed but generally appreciative. Many fans focused on the positive – that one of the most recognizable athletes in the world acknowledged Israeli supporters and expressed interest in visiting.
Whether James ever makes that trip remains to be seen. But the episode served as a reminder that Israeli athletes and fans are increasingly part of a global cultural battleground, even when the conversation starts with nothing more controversial than a compliment about a breakout season.
For Avdija, the All-Star appearance stands as a historic first. For James, a few carefully chosen words became yet another case study in how sports, politics, and perception collide.
And for Israeli audiences, it was a moment of pride shadowed – once again – by the reality that even in sport, Israel rarely escapes the world’s arguments.