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NBA’s Deni Avdija Headlines Washington Wizards Jewish Heritage Night, With Performance by Israeli Singer
by Shiryn Ghermezian
A poster for the Washington Wizards’ Jewish Heritage Night celebration on March 4, 2021. Photo: NBA.
The Washington Wizards will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night on Thursday when the team hosts the Los Angeles Clippers, the National Basketball Association announced.
Israeli singer Kobi Aflalo, who discussed his upcoming performance earlier Thursday on the team’s Israeli Instagram page, will sing the National Anthem before tipoff.
Israeli basketball player and Wizards rookie forward Deni Avdija — who in 2020 became highest-ever NBA draft pick hailing from the Jewish state — will address fans watching from home in English and Hebrew. The program will feature in-game video messages from the Israeli embassy, former Israeli NBA forward Omri Casspi, and players from the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club and Israeli National Team.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that Avdija was selected to the 2020-21 NBA Rising Stars World Team roster, which showcases first- and second-year players from abroad.
The Jewish Heritage Night celebration will begin at 7 pm EST and fans can join in through the Wizards Virtual Gameday program. Viewers will learn about Jewish heritage and enjoy Israeli music, played during timeouts by DJ Heat.
In addition to creating the NBA’s first Israeli Instagram account, the Washington Wizards have a team website in Hebrew and were the first NBA team to launch an Israeli Twitter account.
