Deni Avdija’s first-round matchup in the 2025-26 NBA postseason raised several questions after Victor Wembanyama was criticized heavily for his physical defense. Even though Wemby’s San Antonio Spurs won the series against the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1, the New York Knicks managed to edge them out in five games in the finals. When Avdija was asked about his thoughts on the finals showdown, he seemingly took a dig at the 7-foot-4 center.
During an interview with a reporter in Israel, Avdija opened up his thoughts on the Knicks’ historic championship. When asked about Wemby, he seemingly agreed to a dig at the French player. The journalist asked:
“How’s Wemby? How did Wemby act? Wemby is a little sh**ty kid, huh?”
Avdija responded and expressed his feelings about the Knicks’ championship:
“I’m not gonna say that he… I won’t say what you said. I won’t say what you said, but I’m happy the Knicks won.”
The journalist continued his rant on Wemby, taking a dig at his antics in Round 1, and said:
“I thought he was a man until that series with you, and then even in the finals, he played really dirty.”
Avdija again responded in agreement:
“What can you do, bro. That’s… that’s the sport.”
The Trail Blazers’ Round 1 matchup with the Spurs received widespread criticism from the Israeli’s fans on social media. Meanwhile, Avdija also talked about online criticism and how he handles it.
Deni Avdija talks about online trolls
In the aforementioned interview, Deni Avdija talked about the online trolling that he receives due to his popularity and ethnicity. However, he downplayed such talks, as he believed that such criticism was limited to social media.
Avdija said:
“Because you become a bigger name in the United States, more people notice you. There are insults, antisemitism, things like that. But it’s mostly on social media.”
Deni Avdija will return to the U.S. soon to start preparing for next season, but they have some extra time because the team doesn’t have any picks in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. However, the front office might look to add a veteran presence with the young core of Avdija and Scoot Henderson if they look to make a deep playoff run.
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