Juan Toscano-Anderson has yet to play a single minute with the Los Angeles Lakers, but fans are already welcoming him with open arms. Toscano-Anderson, who recently won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, is the focus of a new mural that decorates a wall in the Jordan Building, in Southern California — and the player himself took the time to visit the mural and thank the artist.
On it, Toscano appears with the yellow Lakers jersey and the number 95. The Mexican flag is on his shoulders, and on one side of him the pyramids of Teotihuacan can be seen, while the other side shows the city of Los Angeles. The mural was painted by Southern California artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr, who is also of Mexican descent and who worked on it for a week and a half.
Toscano-Anderson personally visited the artist to thank him for the mural, and posed for pictures in front of it. He is set to become the first Mexican player in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers, which feels long overdue and very much worthy of a mural.
“Here in Los Angeles, we love greats and great things. They are on the same level for us. We have to show them love, they are all part of our family,” Zermeño told NBA Latin America, adding that he always does murals about Los Angeles, and this one was especially important because he loves the Lakers and his city, as well as his roots. “A lot of my work represents all of that, my heritage, my culture.”
Next for Juan Toscano-Anderson and the Lakers? Hopefully, a good enough season to inspire other winning murals.
