“America was born in the streets” was the slogan of the film Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese. Well, NBA basketball has the same origins. The street. Always. Much of the biography of professional basketball players in the United States begins in the parks, alleys, and sidewalks of suburban communities. Hundreds of Heroes of Wands began life as children of broken families and rife with want, and it took perseverance and almost superhuman effort to make them stand out. In keeping with this tradition, so typical of basketball, the story of Juan Toscano is pure epic.
The player who works as a small forward has had to walk a very tricky path since childhood, full of falls, obstacles and twists worthy of a soap opera. But now he can boast something few can: Last Thursday he was crowned NBA champion as part of the Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Boston Celtics in a six-game series that ended 4-2 in their favour . All eyes of the public were on Stephen Curry, the historic point guard who has led the Warriors for years. Toscano was always a few steps behind but jumped off the bench at crucial moments. His achievement seems even greater considering he is the first Mexican player to win the league title. Because despite being born on the other side, Juan defends his origins and was even selected as a Mexican for the 2015 pre-Olympic tournament. He was seen hopping with the tricolor at the victory celebrations at the TD Garden pavilion in Boston. “Mexico gave me everything,” he says.
Juan Ronel Toscano Anderson was born on April 10, 1993 in Oakland, California. He has direct Mexican roots. His mother, Patricia, is originally from the town of Chavinda, Michoacán, from where Juan’s grandparents immigrated, like so many millions of other country people, to earn a living. His father was of Puerto Rican descent. Toscano grew up on 95th Street in East Oakland, considered the most controversial area on the San Francisco Bay Area (which is why Juan wears 95 on his shirt in honor of his past). It is here, in what residents refer to as the “Killer Zone,” that the area has the greatest number of homicides, gang and drug trafficking incidents.
Her family had some rough times and sometimes the four brothers had to sleep in Patricia’s car. Even Juan was transferred to a school in another neighborhood because his mother lived in fear that he would be involved in the shooting that killed one of his uncles, two cousins and a nephew. But it wasn’t just blood that spilled in the neighborhood: there was also the Oracle Arena, former home of the Warriors, who were always the boy’s favorite team. And there the purpose was forged to play for them one day.
It wasn’t easy at all. He went from free camps to Marquette University in Wisconsin, where he endeavored to record his quality. He was not selected in the collegiate draft, but he was undeterred. He marched through the Mexican National Professional Basketball League, on the Soles de Mexicali and Fuerza Regia teams, and then through Venezuela and Argentina before getting a chance at the Warriors affiliate in Sacramento in the Professional Development League. He rose to the professional team in 2020, was fired and had to accept a precarious, “double-track” contract to remain. But Juan, who had been a star in the Mexican league, was determined to stick with the NBA. After alternating stints in Sacramento and playing at the highest level, he finally got his permanent contract in May 2021. A little over a year later, his long pilgrimage was rewarded. Now he is world champion. “I’ll be able to tell my kids that I’ve played with Curry, that he’s one of the best,” he says modestly. 95th Street celebrates.
Subscribe here to the EL PAÍS México newsletter and receive all the informative keys to current events in this country