Israeli Basketball Boy Breaks Barriers, Brings Budding Ability to Big League

Deni Avdija, a 19-year-old Israeli basketball player and local superstar, made history early Thursday morning from his home near Tel Aviv, after being drafted to the NBA with the highest pick ever for an Israeli rookie. Avdija, who for the past three years wowed spectators with never-before-seen talent on the court, was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Washington Wizards, becoming only the fifth Israeli player to be chosen by an NBA team. In what may have been an even bigger surprise, another product of the Israeli basketball system, lesser-known 19-year-old Yam Madar, was selected with the 47th overall pick by the Boston Celtics. The 2020-2021 NBA season is set to kick off in late December.