Portland, Oregon

Blazers ride Avdija's late heroics to play-in victory over Suns

Avdija's ability to control the game stood out as much as the scoring. Avdija shot 15-of-22 from the field, added 12 assists, and dictated the tempo throughout his 38 minutes on the court.

|ByJERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Israeli forward Deni Avdija drives on Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie for two of his game-high 41 points in the Blazers’ 114-110 victory
BROOKLYN NETS rookie guard Ben Saraf drives for a layup against fellow Israeli Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers during their teams’ duel in New York.

Blue-and-white in Brooklyn: Avdija, Saraf shine during historic night for Israeli hoops

Thousands of Israeli and Jewish fans packed the arena in Brooklyn, turning it into a sea of blue and white, as three Israelis shared the same NBA court for the very first time.

|ByJERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets and Team USA Stripes shoots against Deni Avdija #8 of the Toronto Raptors and Team World during the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California.

Israeli basketball star Deni Avdija makes history at the NBA All-Star Game

"It's a dream come true," Avdija said before the tournament, holding his Team World uniform with the Israeli flag and his number 8. 

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS forward Deni Avdija, the first Israeli selected to the NBA All-Star Game, has found his historic achievement followed by online backlash after a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Deni Avdija drawn into political storm after Netanyahu’s All-Star praise

Netanyahu’s message, posted shortly after Avdija was named an All-Star reserve, read: “Every time you step onto the court, our country shines with pride.”

|ByJERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF

WWII refugee and three term mayor of Portland, Oregon dies at 84

The late former mayor Vera Katz escaped France by hiking through Pyrenees to Spain then arrived in New York City at the age of 7.

DECEMBER 15, 2017ByJTA
A pedestrian walks through a snow covered park in downtown Portland, Oregon.