Blazers' Deni Avdija Reveals Special Link to WWE Superstar John Cena

Jan 28, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers small forward Deni Avdija (8) shoots the ball against Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Portland Trail Blazers small forward Deni Avdija put up an excellent game against the Milwaukee Bucks, recording 30 points, nine total rebounds, two assists, and two steals over 38 minutes.

One of Avdija's standout moments came when he drove to the basket, scoring and drawing a foul in the final moments of the third quarter.

As he got up off the floor, Avdija waved his hand in front of his face, performing the classic "You Can't See Me" taunt made famous by WWE Superstar John Cena.

Deni Avdija led the way in the @trailblazers win!

30 PTS | 9 REB | 2 STL | 55.6 FG%

Portland has won 5 of their last 6 👀 pic.twitter.com/ttJGnXsnoc

— NBA (@NBA) January 29, 2025

“When I score and-one, I kind of thought about his theme song, and I wanted to play it in the arena,” Avdija said, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “So, any time I score an and-one, you can hear the John Cena theme song.”

This is because Avdija is a member of the Cenation, the name given to everyone who is a fan of Cena in the WWE. In fact, Avdija requested that the song play every time he scored an and-1.

“I did, I did,” Avdija said. “It was kind of my idea to bring some energy and fun to the team. Now you see everybody on the bench doing that. So, it’s something small I can implement into the team to make us happier.”

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For a team that is supposed to be tanking, the Trail Blazers have won five of their last six games, and Avdija is a large reason why.

Avdija has been on a roll ever since he returned from an ankle injury. In the six games since, Avdija has averaged 20.8 points, 8.2 total rebounds, 4.5 assists, and two steals per game. In two of those games, he recorded double-doubles.

Now, he has averaged 14.9 points, 6.6 total rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game across 44 games this season, 26 of which he started.

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Still, Portland is in 13th place in the Western Conference with an 18-29 record. While this is well ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, they are still 6.5 games out of contention for the Play-In Tournament.

While making the postseason still seems unlikely, this recent string of wins is promising for the Trail Blazers. Hopefully, the team will be able to make a solid playoff run in the near future.

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