KATOWICE (Poland) - In the history of FIBA EuroBasket U20, only three nations have managed to win the competition in back-to-back editions.
Serbia achieved the feat first, in 2007 and 2008, propelled by Milos Teodosic and Miroslav Raduljica, respectively. France were the most recent back-to-back champions, inspired by a new wave of talents such as Ilias Kamardine and Zacharie Perrin, MVPs in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The team in between was Israel, first in Chemnitz in 2018 and then at home in Tel Aviv in 2019, with Deni Avdija emerging as the next big thing in European basketball.
The Portland Trail Blazers wingman was named to the FIBA EuroBasket U20 All-Star Five in 2018, and earned MVP honors in 2019 by averaging 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
In the final against Spain, he put up 23 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. It was a dominant performance by the 18-year-old, who would make his way to the NBA just one year later.
Ariel Beit-Halahmi, the Israel playcaller at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, was also the head coach of that U20 championship-winning team and knows what Deni Avdija is all about.
"Since he was young, Deni has been a very talented and gifted athlete. You could tell that he was going to be great. It was just a matter of time before he would grow up as a person and as a player," he told FIBA.
"It's beautiful to see the way that he's grown up and become the player that he is right now. He's a great person, very humble."
Avdija's backcourt partner in that historic run for the Israeli U20 team, Yam Madar, is now his teammate on the senior national team.
"Deni knows how to lead and speak with different people. He has the mindset of a winner. He knows how to adjust to the situations and different players on the court," Madar said.
His professionalism is on another level. He really knows what he wants to do. We trust him, he's our leader.
"The coach really trusts him, and we as players do the same to carry us. We believe in him, and I'm sure he's gonna have a great tournament."
The last time the Blazers wing played at FIBA EuroBasket, in 2022, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. However, Israel was eliminated in the Group Phase on a 2-3 record.
This time around, Avdija believes things will be different.
"I think we can go far. I think we have the talent to go far, but we'll take it step by step," Israel's #8 told FIBA.
"We have a young core mixed with veterans. It's a good mix to help us go forward. We still have a lot of talented players that didn't make it. I love the squad we have. I think it's good, and we're willing to go high."
"Deni is one of our main guys, but we have veteran players who are experienced, and it's not only one guy or one leader. We want to make everybody feel involved. This is our way of achieving something," Beit-Halahmi said.
Obviously, the 2001-born Avdija has vastly improved since turning out to be one of the most talked-about European prospects back in 2019. Yam Madar knows this better than anyone.
"I believe these last five years have made [Avdija] a more complete player. He was mainly going right at the beginning, but now he can really go both ways," Madar said.
"He's way more experienced, understanding the game. He's playing with both hands on the floor, defensively and offensively. He's very difficult to guard: he can really do everything."
"He wants to help and carry this national team forward, trying to get us as far as we can. We trust him. He's our leader and the whole national team, the whole country trusts him."
#8 is infinity, and I think there's no limit to where I can reach. That's why I wear it.
Avdija's evolution as a player is the end result of the way he's approached the game.
"I always wanted to be Deni. I always wanted to have something special in my game. I didn't really want to take somebody else's game. I just wanted to have my own kind of style and pace," Avdija said.
"I think I managed to do that because, honestly, I think my game is unique. I see now a lot more basketball, and I see the players, but I always wanted to be myself."
Avdija flourished after being traded from Washington to the Trail Blazers, where he averaged career-highs of 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game last season.
"Basically, he's getting better day to day. Last season in Portland, he was a star, and we're very proud of him." - Ariel Beit-Halahmi
"What you saw last season, this is Deni. He's a gifted basketball player, and he's one of our best players," the coach added.
Madar concurred: "I feel like the game really slowed down for him last year. I believe that in the next three, four years, he will really make his mark in the NBA and really be something special over there outside," he said.
"I had a good season with Portland. I didn't have a lot of coverage in terms of an NBA perspective. But I'm trying to play my game. At the end of the day, I play for myself, I play for fun. If people like my game, they like my game," Avdija said.
"I like to represent my country. I like to talk about things that I do for the younger generations to see, understand the work ethic, and what it takes to be at the highest level."
Overall, Avdija has turned into such a complete player that Israel will need him to deliver every minute he will spend on the floor in Katowice. He's not afraid of assuming the responsibility.
"I've grown as a basketball player, being able to deal with pressure, with late-game situations, and being more of a leader," he said.
"I grew in a lot of aspects of basketball-wise, but I think the biggest aspect is just growing as a person and being able to take more responsibility."
"I think he's on the right path to being in his best version. He’s working extremely hard. He's really dedicated to what he's doing. He's only 24 right now, so he's really young, and his upside is crazy," Madar said.
How crazy? Best basketball player the Israeli national team has ever had-crazy?
Madar doesn't shy away: "I believe so. If he has not already done it, I believe he will really soon."
"I think his focus is for sure to lead Israel into great success. I know how important it is for him to come and represent Israel in any opportunity. He comes and does his best for us, and we really appreciate that as a country."
FIBA