NBA fans are losing it after the first 2025‑26 All‑Star fan voting returns showed Israeli forward Deni Avdija ranked higher than superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Despite playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, who currently sit 10th in the West, Avdija managed to overtake two of the league’s biggest names. For NBA fans, the surprise wasn’t just the numbers — it was the symbolism of the shift.
@tbprime28 joked: “Those votes were promised to him 4000 years ago.”
Those votes were promised to him 4000 years ago 🙏
— Tommy ™ (@tbprime28) December 29, 2025
@MarsAutomatic took aim at the commissioner: “You’ll never guess Adam Silver’s ethnicity.”
@JTSPECTOR defended Avdija’s rise: “Yes because he’s playing better than both of them and Deni doesn’t just have the support of blazers fans he has the support of a whole country.”
Avdija currently sits at 7th with 606,299 votes, while Durant is 8th with 548,754 and LeBron 9th with 536,555. Even though it’s only the first round of voting, the results rattled NBA fans.
“Face of the league are now international players”: NBA fans applaud foreign players for dominating the All-Star votes
Avdija’s surge is part of a bigger trend. International stars are dominating the All‑Star vote. Luka Doncic leads the West with 1,249,518 votes, Nikola Jokic follows with 1,128,962, and Giannis Antetokounmpo tops the East with 1,192,296.
NBA fans see the shift clearly.
@Sushinobi_nft said, “Face of the league are now international players, and well deserved too.”
Face of the league are now international players, and well deserved too.
— Sushinobi.ron 🦇🔊 (@Sushinobi_nft) December 29, 2025
@Investor_x1 added, “Both are international. They are the better players now.”
And @BigBreezy kept it simple, “Looks about right.”
The Eastern Conference’s top 10 reflects the global takeover. Alongside Giannis, Luka, and Jokic, Canada’s Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander (4th), France’s Victor Wembanyama, and Israel’s Deni Avdija all made the cut.
For NBA fans, the message is clear: the face of the league is no longer just American superstars — it’s international talent leading the way.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
