"Dude is getting his a** kicked" - Evan Fournier backs ex-Warriors forward amid backlash over comments on EuroLeague players
Former Golden State Warriors forward-turned-NBA G League star Juan Toscano-Anderson recently faced backlash for making apparent derogatory remarks about EuroLeague basketball players. However, ex-12-year NBA veteran shooting guard Evan Fournier came to Toscano-Anderson's defense, citing the circumstances of his controversial comments.
Over the last few days, Toscano-Anderson competed with the NBA G League United in the 34th FIBA Intercontinental Cup. On Sunday, his squad took on Spanish club Unicaja Malaga in the tournament's final in Singapore.
With the G League United trailing 52-34 midway through the third quarter, Toscano-Anderson appeared fed up during a timeout, calling out his team's effort. While doing so, the 2022 NBA champion seemingly implied the EuroLeague, Europe's top basketball league, is an undesirable landing spot for aspiring NBA players.
"Our dream is not to play in the ACB, our dream is not to play in the f**king EuroLeague, our dream is to play in the NBA and make millions of dollars," Toscano-Anderson said. "What they are doing now is unacceptable."
The clip quickly went viral on X/Twitter, with many taking exception to Toscano-Anderson's comments. 2019 NBA champion Jordan Loyd later highlighted the need to "respect" all players who carve out pro basketball careers.
"We gotta respect everyone’s journey, and truth be told, if you have a long career in any of those leagues, it’s a blessing," Loyd said. "Everyone [is] not making it to [$]100 [million] in the NBA. Strive for it, for sure, though."
However, Fournier, who left the NBA in favor of Greek club Olympiacos this offseason, seemingly saw no issue with Toscano-Anderson's remarks. Instead, the French sharpshooter attributed them to the Mexico City Capitanes star showing competitive spirit and pride amid his team getting blown out.
"Maybe I missed something, but am I the only one that doesn't see anything wrong here?" Fournier said. " [The] dude is getting his a** kicked and trying to motivate his team. I don't think he meant to disrespect European basketball. I might be wrong, though."
Juan Toscano-Anderson suffers 15-point loss to European team after controversial comments about EuroLeague
After seemingly criticizing the EuroLeague, Juan Toscano-Anderson and the NBA G League United ultimately fell 75-60 to Unicaja Malaga in Sunday's championship matchup. The win marked the Spanish club's first-ever FIBA Intercontinental Cup title.
Toscano-Anderson's defeat came after he expressed a desire to prove the "G League is the second-best league in the world" a few days earlier.
Instead, Europe continued dominating the competition. Per FIBA, Unicaja's victory "raised the continent's silverware count to 23 trophies." Meanwhile, the G League United became only the first U.S. team to reach the tournament's final in 50 years.
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