Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers has become Israel's all-time leading NBA scorer, overtaking Omri Casspi's mark earlier this month. The 24-year-old forward achieved the milestone with a strong performance in a recent game. Avdija's rise highlights his growing impact in the league.
Deni Avdija, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, reached a significant career milestone earlier this month by surpassing Omri Casspi to become Israel's all-time NBA scoring leader. Casspi, a former forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings, had held the record with 4,642 points over his career.
The achievement came during a game where Avdija scored 35 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out seven assists, despite the Trail Blazers' loss to the Detroit Pistons. This performance left him five points ahead of Casspi's total. Just prior, Avdija had set a personal best with 14 assists in Portland's 121-118 defeat to the Toronto Raptors.
Currently, the 24-year-old is averaging 25.5 points per game for the Trail Blazers, who stand at 12-17 this season, placing him 14th in the NBA scoring rankings. Drafted by the Washington Wizards in 2020, Avdija joined Portland in 2024 after spending four years with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, where he earned the nickname 'Turbo' for his energetic style.
This milestone underscores Avdija's rapid development since entering the league, building on his international roots to make history for Israeli basketball in the NBA.