Former NBA players Kyle O’Quinn and Joakim Noah apparently have a fair bit in common.
Besides both playing for the New York Knicks, they have both attended their fair share of Bar Mitzvah celebrations.
You read that right.
The clip may be an oldie (2017), but it has made a comeback after the above post. And having a couple of NBA players arguing over who has attended more Bar Mitzvah celebrations was definitely not on my Bingo Card.
Then again, when it comes to NBA players and Judaism, stranger things have happened.
And speaking of Israeli NBA player Deni Avdija, who featured in that last video, there is now talk that he could be on his way to joining some very exclusive company in Portland Trail Blazers history.
Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Mike Richman, host of the Locked On Blazers podcast, predicted that Avdija could earn his second consecutive All-Star selection – which would make him just the 13th player in Trail Blazers history to be selected more than once.
Walla Sports reported:
“Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Mike Richman, host of the Locked On Blazers podcast, laid out a series of bold predictions – headlined by the prospect of the Israeli forward earning his second consecutive All-Star Game selection and cementing his place among the Trail Blazers’ all-time greats.”
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“‘I think this is the season where Avdija truly makes his mark – where he elevates to a level where he’s no longer just an interesting trivia answer for players who made a single All-Star appearance in a Portland uniform,” Richman said. “He’ll become a player who joins the club of the truly great ones.'”
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“Nevertheless, his projection for the forward remains resolute: ‘My bold prediction is that Deni Avdija will become a multi-time All-Star and join a very exclusive group in Portland history. He would be just the 13th player in Trail Blazers history to be selected to the All-Star Game more than once. If he gets selected in back-to-back seasons, he joins an even smaller list. That would quickly place him alongside some of Portland’s all-time greats. It’s a bold prediction, considering historical precedents.'”
Not bad for a kid from Beit Zera.
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© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
