Staying neutral when a fire is raging is standing with the ones who lit it. The Kyrie Irving incident has been the talk of the town, and yet most of the NBA players have remained either silent or neutral on this issue. The 21-year-old youngster Deni Avdija from Washington Wizards came forward to take a stance against Irving on his anti-Semitic social media post.

Avdija also happens to be the only active Jewish player in NBA, which makes it more understandable why the young player confronted the successful player Irving. He spoke to a group of reporters in the locker room at Capital One Arena.

“I’ve heard, I’ve seen. Listen, at the end of the day, I think Irving’s a role model, he’s a great player. I think he made a mistake, but you need to understand that he gives an example to people. People look up to him,” Avdija said, and added, “You can think whatever you want, you can do whatever you want. I don’t think it’s right to go out and publish it and let little kids that follow you see it and generations that come after to think like that, because it’s not true. And I don’t think it’s fair. Hopefully, he’s sorry for what he said.”

Avdija has gained support in this situation from his league and teammates. He also expressed gratitude to the Jewish community as a whole for supporting him and encouraging him in everything he does. The Brooklyn point guard was friendly to him in their first game, according to Avdija. However, the Israeli player thinks the league must respond to what Irving did.

“There need to be consequences for the actions that players do,” Avdija said. “I think it needs to be known there is no room for words like that.”

Deni Avdija, the NBA's lone Israeli-born player, says he tries to stay positive in the face of antisemitism, but he also believes there should be consequences for players’ actions, like those of suspended Nets star Kyrie Irving.

Story by @noahtrister:

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) November 5, 2022

It’s imperative to speak up on an issue like this and address the matter with concern, especially when someone is representing a minor community. Fans are with Avdija on this one. Let us know your thoughts in the comment as well.