Deni Avdija is the first Israeli basketball star to play in the NBA's All-Star Game, as a starter for Team World. Avdija is proud to be there, telling the media, "It's a dream come true," to represent Israel on the court.
But because sports cannot be free of politics, this is how filmmaker Spike Lee showed up at the game, decked out in "Free Palestine" garb.
The NBA has their first Israeli All-Star (Deni Avdija) & Spike Lee decided to wear a “Free Palestine” outfit… pic.twitter.com/jwky5s0Q4K
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) February 16, 2026
Simply incredible.
Did that “free Palestine”? No? Just more useless crap from the league leader. If he didn’t sit court side being obnoxious, nobody would remember him or his mediocre movies.
— Alonzo Harris (@HashemMelech048) February 16, 2026
No other such garb would be allowed.
I fixed it. pic.twitter.com/C2Gqut2WjS
— Nilam Civok (@CivokNilam) February 16, 2026
Fair enough.
That’s like a white guy wearing a Klan Hood to an All Star hockey game where there’s one black player.
— RileyDonovan74 (@TheLarvinMewis) February 16, 2026
That would lead to weeks of media outrage. This gets crickets.
That the @NBA did not toss him from the arena, and that @NBC put him on camera multiple times is abhorrent.
— American Prometheus 🟦 (@daniopp) February 16, 2026
If a celebrity was wearing klan robes on the sideline they would be shunned, removed, and banned for life.
The woke NBA is just antisemitism in a leftist package https://t.co/oZtbQfxz1A
They knew exactly what they were doing.
To celebrate the 1st Israeli AllStar @NBA player, Deni Avdija, irrational Jew hater Spike Lee decided to make himself into a blatantly antisemitic Death to Jews & Gays billboard. If he’s that desperate for an invite to dinner with @ZohranKMamdani why not just buzz the guy? https://t.co/GWdtI3ZNRo pic.twitter.com/BTcFYeZKVJ
— stephensacks (@stephensacks) February 16, 2026
We're sure Mamdani is thrilled with this.
Over 100,000 Iranian slaughtered in the past month.
— Dumisani Washington (@DumisaniTemsgen) February 16, 2026
Over 70,000 Christians in Nigeria slaughtered in the last 20 years.
Millions of Sudanese slaughtered, enslaved or displaced for decades…all by Muslims.
Who does #SpikeLee 🤡 protest?
Israel. https://t.co/Z2Y5aNsd47
They don't care about any of that actual genocide.
Just Israel.