Juan Toscano-Anderson gave a young Lakers fan the birthday gift of a lifetime at a WSS (formerly known as Warehouse Shoe Sale, a national retail chain of shoe stores) opening in Anaheim where Toscano-Anderson was signing autographs and taking photos with fans.
After taking a photo with the young boy, Toscano-Anderson asked him how old he was, and when the boy told him that his birthday was right around the corner, Anderson perked up. “What are you going to do for your birthday?” he asked.
The young fan said he didn’t know and Toscano-Anderson instantly offered up tickets to come to see him play. “You should come to a Laker game! I’ll leave you tickets for your birthday.” The young fan didn’t believe Toscano-Anderson at first but got really excited when the players said, “I’ll leave you two tickets.”
The player then made sure to ask for the parent’s information to keep his promise.
Toscano-Anderson, who won an NBA championship as a member of the 2021-22 Golden State Warriors, signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Lakers during the offseason. He became only the second NBA player of Mexican descent to win an NBA championship after becoming the first player of Mexican descent to compete in an NBA Slam Dunk competition, sporting stylish Nikes featuring a Mexican theme.
Juan Toscano-Anderson has been so well-received in Los Angeles, which has a large Latine community, that murals for him were already painted before he ever played a single minute for the Lakers. Representation matters and Toscano-Anderson has been a glowing example of that throughout his NBA career and now by making sure that young fans of his get to see him play.
