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Spike Lee sat courtside at the Intuit Dome in Southern California for the NBA All-Star Game, but it was his outfit that drew attention at the event.
Lee wore a pro-Palestinian look during the festivities in Inglewood, California, as the league introduced its new format, which featured World All-Stars and United States All-Stars on Team Stars and Team Stripes.
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Spike Lee at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game held at the Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
The World All-Stars featured Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija. It was the first time an Israeli-born player appeared in an All-Star Game. Avdija wore the Israeli flag on the back of his jersey for the match.
Lee didn’t make any additional statements, but her outfit was message enough.
“I feel like when I come to play, I come with the whole nation, and it’s fun to show that it’s possible, even for a small country like ours,” he said after the match, via The Times of Israel.
Although political issues don’t appear to be seeping into the game, Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun was asked Saturday about his relationship with Avdija. Sengun is Turkish and relations between the two countries are far from solid.
Spike Lee smiles from his courtside seat during the NBA All-Star Basketball Game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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“You know, I think this is way bigger than ours. We’re just going to represent our country here, you know, as best as we can. Deni is the same hard worker,” Sengun told reporters. “You know, great guy, great person. One of my good friends in this league.
“And like I said, these things are way bigger than ours. We’re just here doing what we love, and other things are out of our control. And hopefully, you know, of course, basketball is what we hope everyone will love and stick together, you know, that’s what we’re here for. And like I said, the other things are out of our control, and hopefully, you know, everything is in peace all over the world, and that’s all we wanted.”
Deni Avdija speaks during interviews during media day at the Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026. (William Liang/Imagn Images)
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Avdija played a total of 15 minutes between the two matches played by the World All-Stars in the new format. The World All-Stars lost both matches.
