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Juan Toscano-Anderson is one of the most fun, heartwarming stories in the NBA this year. The 28-year-old Bay Area native made it to the NBA this year on a two-way deal after grinding for years in the G League. Ultimately, after becoming a rotation piece for his hometown Golden State Warriors, he agreed to a two-year deal with the team this week to become a full-time member of the squad.
On Thursday, Toscano-Anderson signed his deal with the Warriors. As he did it, he called his mom at the podium to share the moment with her. It was an emotional moment for both, and afterwards he had one thing in mind: going to see her and getting a home cooked meal.
Made it official and called mom pic.twitter.com/iZ9Dskaunw
â Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 14, 2021
âI just wanted to tell you that Iâm so proud of you son,â she said. âIâm so glad that you never gave up. Iâm just so happy that God had given you the desires of your heart. Iâve been praying for this for you for what just makes you happy. And everything that you have so hard worked for.â
Toscano-Anderson also said he plans to buy his brother a car with some of the money from his new deal.
Juan Toscano-Anderson says he’s going to buy his little brother a car after signing his new contract. The emotion is palpable. pic.twitter.com/IzODrcetum
â Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) May 14, 2021
âIâm just super excited to be able to help my littler brother,â he told reporters. âHe just got his license a week ago and âŚ. It might be a small gesture to me, but I wasnât able to have car at 18. I wasnât even able to get my first car until I was 26 years old. Little things like that, man. Iâll be able to help my little brother get a car. Thatâs going to change his life. Heâll be able to get a job, heâll be able to be mobile. Heâs going to be able to be a young man, a young adult and not have to depend on mom. Itâs the little things like that that I think about.â
âObviously, Iâm super excited for myself to be on the team and continue to play basketball,â he continued, âbut itâs just a life-changing contract. Itâs a life-changing signature. And thereâs more work to be done. I get kind of paranoid in situations like this because I am happy, but the real work starts now. I donât want to say I feel pressure because I donât feel pressure, but thereâs more that I need to do.â
It is a reminder of just how much making it can mean to not just a player but he and his family. Toscano-Anderson getting to share that moment with his mother and explaining how heâs going to be able to change the lives of his family now is tremendous.