JTA — Portland Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija’s meteoric rise has officially reached a new stratosphere, as the 25-year-old forward has become the National Basketball Association’s first-ever Israeli All-Star.

Avdija was named an All-Star reserve for the Western Conference on Sunday, an expected and deserved nod after the native of Kibbutz Beit Zera in northern Israel finished seventh in All-Star voting with over 2.2 million votes, ahead of NBA legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Avdija’s breakout performance this season has earned him repeated praise from James and others across the league.

Avdija’s star turn began last year in his first season with Portland, when he captured the adoration of Jewish fans across Israel and the US. But he took another step forward this season, averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game.

His points and assists clips are by far the best of his career, and rank 13th and 12th in the NBA, respectively. He’s considered a front-runner for the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Avdija thanked his teammates and coaches in an interview shared by the team following his selection.

“Obviously, I couldn’t do it without my teammates and coaches, and the whole crew that’s just been with me this season, [it’s] been amazing,” he said. “There’s a long season to go. I gotta focus on the team and see........

© The Times of Israel