Juan Toscano-Anderson Honored With a Mural Unveiled Recently in Inglewood

Juan Toscano-Anderson, the first Mexican American player on the LA Lakers, was honored with a mural that was recently unveiled in Inglewood, California.

Since signing with the team in July 2022 after playing two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Toscano-Anderson was greeted with a standing ovation when he made his Lakers debut on July 3 of this year during the California Classic Summer League. During his run with the Warriors, Toscano-Anderson became the second Mexican player to win an NBA Championship win.

His performance was universally acclaimed by fans and commentators alike, and his departure was a bittersweet moment for NBA enthusiasts, who were happy to see Toscano-Anderson’s talent recognized by the Lakers even if it meant leaving the Warriors.

With the regular season set to begin in less than two months, a Mexican artist from Los Angeles named Gustavo Zermeño Jr. celebrated Toscano-Anderson with a mural that was officially unveiled earlier today, reports Esto.

The mural shows Toscano-Anderson wearing a number 95 Lakers jersey with a Mexican flag wrapped around his shoulders. In the background, the pyramids of Tenochtitlán can be seen as a nod to the player’s heritage. Toscano-Anderson visited the mural during the unveiling, as documented by paisaboys on their Instagram.

Although many fans from the Bay Area are happy to see one of their star players move on to greener pastures, it’s not without a twinge of sadness. In an Instagram post from L.A. Taco, Bay Area fans congratulated Toscano-Anderson on his transition to the Lakers but mused that they would, indeed, miss having the player on the Warriors.

“You all got a good one we will miss him in the Bay!!” said one comment. Another read, “Utmost respect from a Warriors fan here.” For a sport whose fans get especially passionate about trades and changing alliances, the respect paid to Toscano-Anderson by Warriors fans is remarkable and says a lot about how celebrated he is.

Lakers fans, on the other hand, can’t wait to see Toscano-Anderson hit the court with his yellow jersey. On the same Instagram post from L.A. Taco, Lakers fans took to the comments to express their excitement. “He came to the right place,” reads one comment. Many Lakers fans agreed, and one comment paid tribute in the best way, reading, “He’s the Juan and only…”

The muralist noted that, all in all, it took a month to measure out and plan the project, even though the actual painting only took a week and a half. Zermeño is the Los Angeles-born son of two Mexican immigrants who hail from Tepatitlán, Jalisco.

“Here in Los Angeles we love the big ones and the big things. They are on the same level for us. We have to show them love, they are all part of our family. I always do murals about Los Angeles,” Zermeño said to NBA Latin America. “Obviously I love the Lakers and the city, I love my Latin roots. Many of my works represent all of that, my heritage, my culture. A lot has to do with the Chicano culture in Los Angeles. That’s very cool.”