"Cooked by a non EuroLeague team" - Former NBA player calls out Juan Toscano-Anderson for overhyped pep talk with G-League squad
Former NBA champion and NBA G League star Juan Toscano-Anderson got called out by a former NBA player and EuroLeague star after his supposed dig at overseas players. Toscano-Anderson was attempting to hype up fellow G League United players before their loss to Unicaja Malaga in the FIBA International Cup.
In his speech, Toscano-Anderson stated,
"Our dream is not play in the f******g ACB, f*****g EuroLeague. We aim to be in the NBA and make millions."
A clip of the speech went viral on X, attracting the attention of Mike James. The EuroLeague star had some strong words for Toscano-Anderson in a reply to the clip.
"Just because your dream is to play in the NBA doesn’t mean you’re better than players in EuroLeague or ACB. Getting cooked by a non EuroLeague team after talking like that is hilarious," James said.
Mike James is the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer and won Most Valuable Player for the 2023-24 season. In his career, James has averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds since making his debut in the 2014-15 season.
James has also appeared in 49 games in the NBA, suiting up for the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, and Brooklyn Nets.
Juan Toscano-Anderson speaks on "NBA dreams" speech
After receiving some backlash for his speech, Juan Toscano-Anderson offered some context for his remarks with several posts on X following the conclusion of the FIBA contest.
Toscano-Anderson clarified his respect for EuroLeague players and players of other overseas leagues.
"I understand the talent level and competition in those leagues. This was not to be disrespectful to those teams/leagues. Only to remind my teammates that the NBA is the highest level and to be in the best league in the world you have to compete at a high level."
He followed that up with a shoutout to his former ACB coach with another post on X.
"Lastly, I have the UPMOST respect for Ibon Navarro who I played for in UCAM ACB."
Juan Toscano-Anderson has spent five seasons in the NBA, suiting up for the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, and Sacramento Kings.
In his five seasons, he's appeared in 202 games, averaging 4.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Toscano-Anderson also won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2021-22.