Spike Lee is a regular presence at Madison Square Garden for New York Knicks home games, and on Sunday at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, he turned heads by incorporating a Palestinian flag into his outfit.
Throughout All-Star Weekend, he carried a bag featuring the Palestinian flag and a keffiyeh design, drawing attention amid the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict and as fans noted the participation of Israeli All-Star Deni Avdija.
Spike Lee Shows Support for Palestine in Front of Israeli All-Star Deni Avdija
Lee paired the bag with various outfits over the weekend, most notably during Sunday’s All-Star Game, where Avdija suited up for Team World.
Images of the filmmaker and actor — whose body of work frequently tackles race relations, issues within the Black community, media influence, urban crime and poverty, and broader political themes — garnered millions of views on X.
Avdija represented Team World alongside Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, who represented the Dominican Republic. They faced fellow Knicks standout Jalen Brunson of Team USA Stripes and ultimately fell short.
Across Team World’s two losses, Avdija recorded five points, four assists and one rebound. He logged 15 total minutes under the revamped All-Star format as Team World failed to secure a victory.
Avdija has previously drawn criticism related to his Israeli background, but in an interview with The Athletic, he said he stands by his country while voicing frustration over the backlash.
“I obviously stand for my country, because that’s where I’m from. It’s frustrating to see all the hate. Like, I have a good game or get All-Star votes, and all the comments [on social media] are people connecting me to politics,” he said.
“Like, why can’t I just be a good basketball player? Why does it matter if I’m from Israel, or wherever in the world, or what my race is? Just respect me as a basketball player. … You don’t have to love what I stand for or how I look, but if I’m a good player, give props. All this hate … for no reason, like I’m deciding things in the world.”
Avdija completed his mandatory Israel Defense Forces service under the special “Exceptional Athlete” designation, which allowed him to take on a non-combat role while launching his NBA career. He enlisted in April 2020 at age 19 after postponing his service due to commitments with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the COVID-19 suspension of play.
