Israeli basketball player Deni Avdjia, who plays for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association, showed solidarity with Israel during Washington's game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night by writing the words "Am Yisrael Chai" in Hebrew and also painting a Star of David on his shoes.
"My heart is with Israel. I am very sad to hear about what is happening in Israel. There are things that are bigger than basketball and with how much I try to represent us in the NBA, it is difficult for me. My friends and family are in Israel, I watch the news almost every day, I watch Israeli TV. My heart goes out to the families and to the people of Israel, let's hope it ends as soon as possible. I will not get into politics, but I am sending a hug and love. It's hard to watch," Avdija told reporters.
The message is ostensibly in response to a series of terror attacks over the past two weeks in Israel.
Pictures of the shoes are posted by a Hebrew-language Washington Wizards account on Twitter.
דני על הנעליים, לקראת המשחק מול אורלנדו:
עם ישראל חי! pic.twitter.com/kROautYj5P— Washington Wizards 🇮🇱 (@washwizardsil) March 30, 2022
