Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija had the athletic genes growing up, but he didn’t necessarily want to be a basketball player.
Avdija grew up in Israel, where soccer was a far more popular sport than basketball and he grew up idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo, who played for Manchester United and Real Madrid during the bulk of his career, which is still chugging along in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr.
Avdija entered the game against the Indiana Pacers with a celebration that mimicked Ronaldo and he was asked about it during his postgame media availability.
“You know, my dream was to be a soccer player, so I grew up watching him, a footballer in the world,” Avdija said after the Blazers beat the Pacers.
“Obviously it’s for him. I grew up watching him, and my dream was to be a soccer player. Every time I could get something from the soccer world, though, it’s nice, but I don’t know. I just did it for fun in the beginning, and I didn’t know they film me all the time. Now, when I know, I guess, yeah, I guess it, the inspo is from him for sure. Just gets the guys a little laugh and vibe. You know what I’m saying? Just do it, just doing, being silly.”
Avdija Channels Ronaldo For Blazers
Ronaldo has had a lot of success throughout his career, and there is a reason why millions around the world are fans of him, Avdija included.
Now Avdija finds himself in a similar line of work as an NBA player that is the best on his team, much like Ronaldo has been throughout most of his career. If Avdija can become the type of leader and captain that Ronaldo has been at several clubs in his career, the Blazers should be in good hands moving forward.
Avdija’s return against the Pacers was the first time he had played in seven contests after suffering a re-aggravation of his back injury that held him out for a good chunk of January and February. Now that he is back, he is looking to rehabilitate himself and get back into a rhythm that will help him lead the Blazers to the postseason.
Avdija and the Blazers return to the court tonight against the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m. PT inside the Moda Center. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.