Deni Avdija’s breakout season — actually, his leap — in Portland is shaping itself every morning (Israel time) into a real event. This is no longer a cute orientation process in Washington, nor an Israeli attempt to force its will on the tough basketball reality, but a true, blue-and-white NBA revelation. Hell, these lines are being written in the shadow of his most recent, astonishing stat line — 31 points, 19(!) rebounds, and 10 assists against the champion, Oklahoma City. Not a breakout, maybe not even a leap. Just wow.
This is iron, and iron needs to be struck while it’s hot. Scorching hot, in this case. Therefore, the launch of his new protein brand was received in the most natural way possible, representing a smart, well-timed marketing move with quite rare added value in the Israeli market. Here is a star — a star whose success is based on hard work as much as raw talent, with international appeal and zero presence in the local “pond” that usually produces our stars. In their own eyes, of course.
Turbo, a partial nod to his nickname, strives to bring a high-quality protein brand “with excellent nutritional values and great taste, and a new and meaningful message for the protein market in Israel.” The announcements tied together sports and a healthy lifestyle, and described a “natural connection to the values Avdija represents — excellence, persistence, and achievement.”
His partners are Michael Ossadon, Ofer Shealtiel, and Eli Zilberman, owners of the startup Raito, which uses technology and data to identify global trends and bring them to shelves quickly. Avdija himself is defined as a founding partner “who took an active part and was involved in developing the brand, choosing the flavors, and the product quality, out of a desire to give consumers a real experience that reflects the professional way he lives and operates on and off the court.”
The initiative debuted with a triple launch of protein ice cream based on milk and cream, with no added sugar and no red labels.
The containers, in a personal-plus size of 250 ml (150 grams), contain 17 grams of protein each and 225–262 calories, offering three flavors — Maya Mango, Madagascar Vanilla, and Hazelnut Chocolate. Price: 24–28 NIS.
The last one, and the best among them, declares “with real cocoa” on the lid, but definitely requires a long journey through the list of ingredients before you get to it — and to the hazelnut paste. The flavor is cute, slightly chocolatey, and given the nature of the product, sufficiently indulgent, though it could have used a bit more depth.
The vanilla ice cream, for its part, showed a slightly less successful texture upon meeting the spoon, and the mango version, with 20% fruit puree, was the weakest in this category, offering only a hesitant echo of its bright orange promise.
The boxes themselves are cultivated and relatively elegant for the genre, and they almost avoid highlighting Avdija himself. He appears on them only through a drawing of his signature, which might even be perceived as a missed opportunity. As a treat, a snack, or a cool indulgence in the world of sports and strict nutrition, it may work — certainly compared to what’s out there, and especially if you keep in mind the lack of sugar. It’s not ice cream, with all its creamy, rich connotations, but it’s probably ice cream for athletes.
Portland is considered one of the most interesting food cities in the United States, offering a variety of cuisines and endless options that also spill over into the world of desserts and ice cream. Salt and Straw, with its bean-and-turkey flavors and salted caramel, is very famous, and at Fifty Licks you can enjoy servings of honey-lavender and vegan mango sticky rice. It’s unclear whether Avdija, who spends most of the year under the strict diet of NBA players and their demanding schedule, has visited them. One can imagine what will happen here after he allows himself to go wild.