04/11/2024

L.A. Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson charms internet with birthday gift for fan [VIDEO]

Lunes 07 de Noviembre del 2022

One young Lakers fan will be celebrating his birthday in high-flying fashion.

A young Los Angeles Lakers fan received the surprise of a lifetime over the weekend, thanks to Lakers newcomer and NBA champion Juan Toscano-Anderson.

Appearing at a meet-and-greet event celebrating the grand opening of a new WSS retail location in Anaheim, California, Toscano-Anderson was taking photos and signing autographs when one fan—decked out in a yellow, #6 LeBron James jersey—caught his attention.

After snapping a photo and exchanging a quick fist bump, Toscano-Anderson learned the boy's birthday is just around the corner and set the wheels in motion for a memory that will last a lifetime.

"Happy birthday!" Toscano-Anderson exclaims.

"What are you going to do for your birthday?" he continues. "You should come to a Laker game! I'll leave you tickets for your birthday. I'll leave you two tickets!"

Initially posted on the official WSS Instagram, a video of the heartwarming interaction shared by Twitter user Chris Montano has racked up more than 18,000 likes and has been viewed over 417,000 times.

Despite a rocky start to the 2022-2023 NBA season, which saw the Lakers lose their first five games while struggling to incorporate stars LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, there is optimism that Toscano-Anderson can provide a much-needed spark off the bench.

In 15.3 minutes-per-game this season, he is averaging 3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1 assist, but has battled an ankle injury for the last two weeks.

Juan Toscano-Anderson
Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by Kent Bazemore of the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on October 3, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. Toscano-Anderson on Sunday charmed the internet after he offered two game tickets to a young fan at a meet-and-greet. Kevork Djansezian/Stringer via Getty Images

Toscano-Anderson, who became the first player of Mexican descent to win the NBA Finals in June, signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Lakers this offseason after spending three seasons with the Golden State Warriors.

An Oakland native, Toscano-Anderson's California connection has been on display for his entire career. And while the 29-year-old made the leap from The Bay to L.A., fans all over continue to root for the undrafted utility player.

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"Shoutout to Juan Toscano-Anderson forever, this made me so happy to see," Montano tweeted, captioning the video of the touching fan interaction.

"This is [just] one reason we LOVE JTA in the Bay," @CliftKenneth replied. "Local boy makes us proud."

"A simple gesture from Juan Toscano-Anderson has created a lifetime memory for that kid and his family on his birthday. That was such a class act," another Twitter user chimed in. "Kudos to JTA."

"I'll always love JTA and his story," @schwifty00 tweeted. "Genuinely great human right there."

Newsweek reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers for comment.

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