The combination of Kyle Kuzma, a breakout NBA season and the love of sweets has inspired Deni Avdija to create his own ice cream brand.
Wait … what?
Let’s back up.
Avdija loves sweet treats. The Portland Trail Blazers forward needs protein. And he’s a self-described “foodie.”
So as he contemplated ways to expand his reach and business portfolio, Avdija decided to put those three realities in a blender and craft a unique style of protein-based ice cream that can be enjoyed guilt-free. He’s naming the brand “Turbo,” an ode to his basketball nickname, and has plans to release it in Israel and, eventually, the United States.
“I love food and I’m a foodie,” Avdija said. “I love sweets and ice cream. So I felt like I needed ice cream that (is) low calorie that I can have after practice or after games and not feel bad about it, but also that tastes good. Because I don’t want to taste the protein.”
Avdija has partnered with a group in Israel on the project and invested in research and development to form the brand. The group has leaned on a team of “ice cream chefs,” Avdija said, to create a “really, really good product that hopefully is going to be good.”
The debut batches will feature three flavors: Mango, vanilla and chocolate hazelnut. Avdija said he hopes to add more flavors in the future, including pistachio and strawberry.
“I’ve got classics,” he said. “And then I’m going to come up with better flavors and change it up.”
The name of the brand was a no-brainer, but the genesis of the nickname “Turbo” might come as a surprise. It was given to Avdija during his third season in the NBA, when he was just starting to establish himself with the Washington Wizards. Blazers fans have grown to love and celebrate Avdija’s fearless, runaway freight-train-like transition game, which often features coast-to-coast layups and dunks through traffic.
But that unstoppable element of his playing style didn’t begin taking root until his third season with the Wizards. Avdija averaged new career-highs in scoring (9.2 points per game), assists (2.8), rebounds (6.4), minutes (26.6), games (72) and starts (40) and his fast-break scoring increased from 0.9 to 1.4 points per game as he bulldozed around and through opposing defenses in transition.
Along the way, one of his teammates came up with a perfect description for Avdija’s tenacious playing style.
“Kyle Kuzma nicknamed me Turbo because I never let go of that turbo button on 2K,” Avdija said, referring to the video game series NBA 2K. “So that’s kind of how the nickname got born. And, you know, that’s how I am today.”
Three years later, Avdija not only has blossomed into a star, averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists, but his nickname has morphed into a burgeoning ice cream brand.
“I’m going to launch it in Israel first and then after that I’m going to probably bring it to Portland,” he said. “So if you see it in the grocery store, pick it up. … I’m excited to bring it to America, so we’ll see how it goes.”
