JTA hopes to have Warriors fans feeling nostalgic at dunk contest originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Juan Toscano-Anderson made his NBA dreams come true with the hometown Warriors. For a kid from East Oakland who grew up idolizing Jason Richardson, an invitation to compete in the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend is beyond surreal.
"Why would I say no?" Toscano-Anderson told reporters Wednesday when asked how his appearance came together. "I'm a kid from 95th and A Street in East Oakland. I used to dunk on courts in my grandfather's driveway and break through the milk crates. ... I'm still a kid when it comes to enjoying the game. I love this game more than anything. This is what I love the most in my life. So, it was a no-brainer for me. Why would I say no to All-Star Weekend?"
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Toscano-Anderson will compete against Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin, and Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green on Saturday in Cleveland. The 28-year-old has some things up his sleeve but wouldn't give away his plan Wednesday.
"You got to wait to find out," Toscano-Anderson said. "I think the dunk contest is just a combination of athleticism, creativity, showmanship, all that stuff. Just going to try to put it all together. I know some of those younger guys, someone like Jalen Green, he's very explosive, extremely athletic. ... Like I said, the dunk contest is a combination of a bunch of things. I'm not really going to trip off the athleticism part. I know those young guys are a little more athletic than me. But I'm going to try to come up with some stuff and have fun with it.
"Get the crowd involved and maybe have some Warriors fans feeling some nostalgia. Hint, hint. We'll see."
Toscano-Anderson said Warriors legend Jason Richardson "inspired" him as a kid, but would "neither confirm nor deny" that Richardson, a two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner, was the nostalgia he was referring to.
When informed that he is one of Richardson's favorite players and that the former Warriors guard was picking him to win the dunk contest, Toscano-Anderson was almost speechless.
"I mean, J-Rich is a legend to me, man," Toscano-Anderson said. "We always talk about the Kobes, LeBrons, the Ray Allens and all that. J-Rich is a legend in many places, but to an Oakland kid, like I said I watched him. I used to come to Warriors games when tickets were practically free. Watch him do all these exciting dunks, watch him win. He's a legend to me.
"To hear him say that I'm one of his favorite players, that means a lot to me. Shout out to you, J-Rich. To pick me to win, that's cool too. I'm a smart man, not a betting man. I know I'm the underdog. Hopefully, I can go in there and surprise people."
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Toscano-Anderson will be part of a Warriors All-Star Weekend contingent that includes Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga.
Toscano-Anderson isn't the household name that many of this weekend's contestants are, but that doesn't matter to an Oakland kid who made his dreams come true through sheer will.
"I'm going in there with house money," Toscano-Anderson said. "I got nothing to lose."
