An early evening practice at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena is ending and 100 fans, mostly kids celebrating their birthdays or b’nai mitzvahs, shuffle down from the lower bowl to one of the baselines. As Maccabi’s roster begins to clear the floor, Deni Avdija is one of the few instructed to stay behind. Just six weeks from celebrating his 19th birthday, he’s not much older than many of the fans he’s about to greet. His dark hair is tapered and combed over to one side of his head. Patches of scruff populate the sides of his face and under his chin.
Deni Avdija Hopes to Be Israel's First NBA Star
