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<\/a>But while Avdija\u2019s Team World squad fell short against the league\u2019s top American players, his appearance continued to generate excitement for Israelis, who have viewed his success on the court as a matter of national pride.<\/p>\nAvdija\u2019s jersey featured an Israeli flag on the back, in keeping with the uniform for Team World.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like when I come to play, I come with the entire nation, and it\u2019s fun to show that it\u2019s possible, even for a small country like us,\u201d he said during a postgame press conference, in which most questions were asked and answered in Hebrew.<\/p>\n
Lebron James, too, was asked by an Israeli reporter about Avdija\u2019s performance and about Israel during his own postgame availability.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope I inspire people over there not only to be great in sports, but to be better in general in life,\u201d James said. \u201cHopefully, someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I\u2019ve never been over there, but I\u2019ve heard nothing but great things. I appreciate the question.\u201d<\/p>\n