Arabs and Turks are Furious About Deni Avdija's Surprising NBA All-Star Vote Surge

Israeli NBA forward Deni Avdija, the 25-year-old Portland Trail Blazers star who's been turning heads with his breakout season (averaging around 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists), is making waves far beyond the court. The release of the first interim fan-voting results for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game has him shockingly ranked seventh among Eastern Conference frontcourt players with over 606,000 votes, edging out legends like Kevin Durant and LeBron James by a wide margin.

But this success has ignited a firestorm of controversy, particularly in Arab and Turkish online communities, where accusations of vote-botting by "IDF bots" and Mossad operatives are flying fast and furious, blending sports rivalry with geopolitical tensions.

Avdija, the first Israeli drafted in the NBA lottery (ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in 2020) and a former IDF soldier, has long been a symbol of national pride in Israel. Campaigns like those from pro-Israel groups such as StandWithUs have rallied fans to "make history" by voting him in as the first Israeli All-Star, emphasizing his role in showcasing Israeli talent on the global stage.

His move to Portland in a 2024 offseason trade has coincided with career highs, including a recent triple-double performance, fueling genuine buzz among Blazers supporters.

Yet, the vote tally, putting him ahead of superstars despite not being a household name, has skeptics crying foul, with many pointing to organized Israeli voting drives as evidence of manipulation.In Arab social media spheres, the reaction has been a mix of disbelief and outrage. Posts on X (formerly Twitter) accuse Avdija's votes of being inflated by "the whole IDF behind him" or Mossad agents, framing it as "blatant Israeli corruption."

One viral thread quipped, "Come on Mossad, at least make it believable," while others tied it to broader anti-Israel sentiments, refusing to vote for an "IDF soldier" and decrying attempts to "guilt trip" fans into supporting him.

These claims echo longstanding narratives of Israeli online influence operations, though no concrete evidence of botting has surfaced in NBA voting systems.Turkish fans, in particular, have expressed "open anger," as highlighted in reports, feeling snubbed that Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, a Turkish sensation averaging All-Star caliber stats, is trailing Avdija despite Turkey's massive basketball following.

Posts lament how "80 million Turks" aren't rallying enough for Sengun, contrasting it with Avdija's perceived "army" of supporters, and predicting he'll still make the cut via coaches' votes like last year.

This rivalry adds a layer of national pride, with some Turkish users calling out their compatriots for "falling off" in fan engagement.Broader NBA fan reactions mirror this skepticism, with forums and articles buzzing about "fake votes" and how Avdija has "the whole IDF" boosting him—paraphrasing the classic "whole country behind him" trope often used for international stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

On the flip side, Avdija's camp and Israeli media celebrate the milestone, urging continued voting to secure his spot in the new U.S. vs. World All-Star format debuting in 2026.

The NBA has not commented on the allegations, but fan voting accounts for 50% of All-Star selections, with players and media making up the rest.

As voting continues through January, expect the "storm" to rage on, with Avdija's historic potential hanging in the balance.