SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson made history on Thursday, becoming the first player of Mexican descent to win an NBA championship.
Moments after the Warriors finished their 103-90 title clinching win over the Boston Celtics, Toscano-Anderson, whose mother is Mexican American and father is African American, proudly draped himself in the Mexican flag.
"I feel amazing," Toscano Anderson said following the win. "This is the biggest dream come true. Coming into the G-League on an open-tryout, on a two-way, got waived, I played overseas for five years. I'm here now, can't nobody take that away from me."
The East Oakland native, who just finished his third season with the team, has quickly become a fan favorite across the Bay Area. After graduating from Marquette University, Toscano-Anderson went unselected in the 2015 NBA draft, forcing him to play professionally in Mexico and Venezuela for five seasons. He was able to make the G-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors roster in 2018 on a local try out, before finally earning a chance to play for his hometown Warriors in 2020.
His infectious, gritty, all-out-hustle style of play endeared him to Warriors fans and teammates, which earned him a "life-changing" fully guaranteed, two-year contract with the team in February, 2021.
While he played sparingly during the Warriors' playoff run this year, the former Castro Valley High School star remained engaged on the bench, frequently running to help up teammates who had fallen on the court and often seen demonstratively celebrating after players buried a shot.
Warriors' star Draymond Green praised Toscano-Anderson with calming him down and pouring "positive energy" into him when he was unexpectedly benched during the team's dramatic comeback win in Game 4 of the Finals.
"When you're trying to win a championship, this is where everything matters and everyone matters. I credit Juan Toscano-Anderson," Green said on his podcast, the Draymond Green Show. "Not only was he in my ear the whole night, but when I was frustrated and I came out the game at the seven minute mark, he was in my ear."
The 28-year-old has also played for the Mexico National Team and participated in the 2021 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
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