Israeli basketball player Deni Avdija announced on Thursday that he will not play in the first preseason game between his new NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night because it falls on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

Avdija shared the news in a Hebrew-language post on his Instagram Story. Yom Kippur, which is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism and known as the Day of Atonement, begins Friday night and ends the following evening.

“When management told me about the game, it was clear to me from the first moment that I would tell them I’m not playing,” he said. “I feel like the best and most correct way to start the season will be by respecting Jewish tradition and in unity with my brothers and sisters in Israel and in the world.”