Deni Avdija celebration explained for Trail Blazers and NBA fans

Deni Avdija has been an excellent fit for the Portland Trail Blazers roster, and the offseason trade was arguably GM Joe Cronin's best move yet. Avdija is a well-rounded player, but one particular trait that has been a much-needed addition to the Blazers this season is his physicality.

Turbo's combination of speed and positional size at 6-feet-9, 240 pounds finally gives Portland a two-way wing they've been missing since before the Damian Lillard era. Not only does it give Avdija the ability to effectively guard multiple positions on defense, but it also helps him draw fouls on the offensive end.

What is Deni Avdija's celebration and where did it come from?

He has an uncanny ability to initiate contact with his off-arm without it being an offensive foul, resulting in a high free throw rate. He's also great at finishing through contact.

And when he does get an and-one, Avdija has a unique way of celebrating with John Cena's "You Can't See Me" gesture.

After their Jan. 28 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Avdija was asked in the postgame interview when he started doing the Cena celebration.

"You know, John Cena was my favorite wrestler growing up. When I score an and-one, I think about his theme song and want to play it in the arena. It's kind of my new celebration after and-ones," Avdija said. "Every time I score an and-one, you can hear the John Cena theme song."

Avdija's fun and unique idea has also helped build team chemistry. That's especially important for a Blazers team where he is one of the newest members on the league's second-youngest roster.

"It was my idea to bring some energy and fun to the team. Now you see everybody on the bench doing it," he added. "It's just something small I can implement to make us happier and build chemistry."

He's also leading the team in free throw attempts at 4.7 per game. A large portion of that is due to his ability to draw fouls in transition. This season, he's among the top two in the league in terms of transition foul-drawing frequency, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Avdija is on one of the most team-friendly contracts, not only on Portland's roster but also in the entire league. He's on the books until 2027-28 when he is owed just $11.9 million. His contract, production, age, and fact that the Blazers gave up significant assets to acquire Avdija suggest they plan to keep him around long-term as a building block in their rebuild.

Here's to many more "You Can't See Me" celebrations with the Blazers!