American filmmaker Spike Lee on Tuesday defended his decision to wear a Palestinian flag-inspired outfit to Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, denying it was intended as a slight against Deni Avdija, the first Israeli to play in the annual showcase.

Lee’s outfit — a keffiyeh-patterned sweater and flag badges on his bag strap — sparked anger from some pro-Israel fans, who felt he was targeting Avdija.

In a post on Instagram, Lee wrote there had been “some conjecture” about his outfit, and clarified that he had worn the items as “symbols of concern for the Palestinian children and civilians.”

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 72,000 people in the Strip have been killed during the war with Israel — including over 500 since the October 2025 ceasefire — though the toll does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The Israeli military believes that Hamas’s overall toll is largely accurate.

Lee said what he wore was “not intended as a gesture of hostility to Jewish people or to support violence against anyone.” Neither, he wrote, was it a comment on the significance of Avdija’s inclusion in the event, explaining that he was unaware that the Portland Trail Blazers forward was the first Israeli All-Star.

“He can BALL,” Lee wrote. “NOW I DO KNOW. LIVE AND LEARN.”

Avdija scored five points and passed four assists in his All-Star debut, sporting an Israeli flag on the back of his jersey, in keeping with the uniform for Team World.

Team World lost both matches in the round-robin basketball showcase, leaving the USA Stars to beat USA Stripes 47-21 in the final of the 75th NBA All-Star Game tournament held at Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

While Avdija’s squad fell short against the league’s top American players, his appearance generated excitement for Israelis, who view his success on the court as a matter of national pride.

“I feel like when I come to play, I come with the entire nation, and it’s fun to show that it’s possible, even for a small country like us,” Avdija told Channel 12 news during a postgame press conference, in which most of the questions were asked and answered in Hebrew.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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