JTA shows off his championship ink

Juan Toscano-Anderson may be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers now, but a large part of his heart will always be with the Golden State Warriors.

JTA was born and raised in Oakland, as a Warriors fan, and starred at Castro Valley High School. He played his first three NBA seasons with the Warriors, before signing with the Lakers this summer in free agency.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s showdown between JTA’s old team and his new one, the fan favorite showed off something pretty cool: a tattoo he got commemorating the Warriors run to an NBA championship in June. Toscano-Anderson, who played 13.6 minutes per game during the regular season for the title-winning team, got the Larry O’Brien trophy tattooed on his left forearm.

That’s pretty freaking cool. Toscano-Anderson’s run to an NBA championship is worth celebrating. He wasn’t a highly-touted player out of college, and didn’t make it to the NBA until five seasons after he had graduated from Marquette. He spent three years playing in Mexico before even joining the G League, then made his NBA debut as a 26 year old in the 2019-20 season.

After playing on two-way contracts, JTA eventually earned a roster spot with the Warriors, and now with the Lakers. Add in the incredible work he’s done in the community, and how highly his teammates and coaches speak of him, and it’s impossible to feel anything but joy for Toscano-Anderson.

It’s pretty special that the Warriors play the Lakers on Opening Night, and that JTA can thus partake in ring night.