With Stephen Curry sidelined for the next few weeks, the Golden State Warriors will need multiple players to step up down the stretch. That includes bench wing Juan Toscano-Anderson, who chipped in with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting after Steph went down against the Celtics.
Of course, this isn’t exactly a new situation for Toscano-Anderson — he’s been asked to play 25, 30, 35 or more minutes on numerous occasions over the years.
The hardwood isn’t the only place where the 2022 Slam Dunk Contest runner-up has been stepping up, though. As a proud native of The Town, he’s also taken it upon himself to go to bat for the Oakland Athletics, who just hit a roadblock in their bid to build a new stadium at Howard Terminal.
On Wednesday, the Seaport Planning Advisory Committee voted to recommend that the waterfront site be reserved for maritime use.
With the fear that the A’s could leave the Bay Area growing, JTA seized upon an opportunity to chat up Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf about the situation.
JTA Advocates for the MLB Franchise
Toscano-Anderson’s conversation with Schaaf took place at the Generation Thrive grand opening on Friday. After the exchange, ABC7 Bay Area’s Casey Pratt caught up with the baller to get the lowdown on his efforts.
“I probably annoyed her a little bit about my comments,” Toscano-Anderson confessed. “I’m a true A’s fan, man. I’m Oakland to the bone. I know what the sports teams mean to the people here. I know how much of a disconnect it allows them to have from work or from real life to cheer on their favorite teams and their favorite players.”
The 28-year-old noted that Oakland has already lost more than one professional sports team. He believes that losing yet another one would be devastating for the community.
“The Raiders have gone, the Warriors… even though they didn’t go very far, it’s still not Oakland. Some people don’t have the means to get across that bridge to go to a game,” he said.
“I just want to maintain a culture here and keep something for the people here. For them to wake up and cheer for. Sports do a lot for people. Sometimes I don’t think we acknowledge what sports do for people. It allows them to relax and cheer and have a beer, hang out with their friends, congregate, go to games, etc.”
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Bigger Than Business
While the Athletics draw considerably fewer fans than the Giants across the Bay, the Warriors wing believes that the club still has a considerable number of supporters in the region, himself included. And he wants those people to be accounted for when decisions about a new stadium are being made.
“The A’s, even though the fandom isn’t as big for them, there’s still is a lot of fans here, they get a lot of support,” Toscano-Anderson said. “I own 20 A’s hats, it’s my favorite hat, I love the A’s. It’s much bigger than that business aspect. Kids get to take field trips to the baseball games, it inspires a whole generation, it creates more jobs for people. It’s bigger than the actual team, there’s layers to it.
“So, I made a few comments to her, hopefully, she can help keep the team here. I hope she does, she says that’s what she wants to do. No pressure, I understand it’s a business but I’m also a native of Oakland so I’m biased.”
Although the advisory committee’s recommendation isn’t binding, it’s expected to hold weight with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), which will vote on the stadium proposal in June.
Two-thirds of the BCDC’s members will have to vote “yes” in order for the project to move forward.
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Warriors Wing, Oakland Native Pleads His Case for the A’s