The Los Angeles Lakers’ overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets was one of their most impressive of the year and one of the best games of the entire NBA season. The late-game heroics of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were on full display, but those in attendance at the Crypto.com Arena also got to experience someone else who played a big role in the win.
A six-year-old fan by the name of Jackson Tuyay was shown on the Jumbotron during the “Fan of the Game” segment and his screams and flexes not only won him the prize, but also got him invited back to the Lakers’ next home game by Doncic himself, via Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times:
He might be hearing more cheers in the future. He’s already been invited to their next home game by somebody from Doncic’s camp, and future invitations are sure to follow.
Tuyay, whose nickname is “Turbo,” was one of the stars of the game for those in the crowd. Sporting a Shaquille O’Neal jersey that went down to his knees, Tuyay’s spirit and exuberance pumped up the crowd to the point that cameras continually found him throughout the game. And each time, the cheers for the young fan grew louder. He was so noticeable that LeBron James himself gave him a shoutout and said he was the reason for the Lakers’ victory.
It is a great move by Doncic and his camp to invite Jackson and the Tuyay family back for the Lakers’ next home game, which doesn’t take place until March 27 against the Brooklyn Nets. There was simply something about his energy that pumped up the crowd and the team and having that in the building for these important home games is valuable.
It also is an amazing experience for Jackson himself, who was attending his first ever Lakers game. His father Byron bought the tickets and is a lifelong Lakers fan and now, thanks to this experience and all that can happen in the future, Jackson will be a Lakers lifer himself.
JJ Redick believes LeBron James being third option is best for Lakers
One thing young Jackson was able to witness in his first Lakers game was LeBron James taking a bit of a backseat behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves being the primary creators on offense. And Lakers coach JJ Redick believes LeBron being the team’s third option is best for the Lakers as they are currently constructed.
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