During the Lakers’ huge 127–125 overtime win over the Nuggets on Saturday, there was one fan in the crowd at Crypto.com Arena that stood out amongst the rest: six-year-old Jackson Tuyay.
Tuyay became a fan, and player, favorite instantly as the Lakers showed the hyped six-year-old on the jumbotron. Tuyay appeared to use all his might to cheer on his favorite NBA team, all while sporting a Shaquille O’Neal jersey that went to his knees. He used all his energy to shout for the Lakers when the cameras were on him. The crowd loved Tuyay so much that he was named the Lakers fan of the game.
Check out the awesome moment that Tuyay was given this honor.
A legend pic.twitter.com/KE9tJ7cRno
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 15, 2026
Tuyay didn’t just stand out amongst the other Lakers fans in attendance at Saturday’s game. The young super fan made an impression on the team’s two biggest stars, too.
After the game, LeBron James paid Tuyay a huge compliment when talking to media in the locker room. James definitely saw Tuyay shouting to the rooftops in the crowd, and the four-time NBA champion cheekily gave the six-year-old credit for motivating the Lakers to win the game.
“That little kid on the Jumbotron was definitely ... I looked up there ... I think he’s, yeah, he’s the reason why we won tonight for sure,” James said, sparking laughter in the locker room.
posted a carousel of photos from the game
Tuyay made such a big impression on Dončić that he extended an invite to the young fan to attend another Lakers game in the near future, Los Angeles Times’ Thuc Nhi Nguyen reported on Wednesday.
It's unknown which game Dončić’s people invited Tuyay to, but the Lakers are out of town until Friday, March 27 when they face the Nets. Maybe Tuyay will wait to attend a playoff game, too.
The Lakers have won nine of their last 10 games to hold onto the No. 3 Western Conference seed in the last few weeks of the regular season. L.A. could use all the good luck they can get, including the cheering from Tuyay. His return to the Crypto.com Arena will excite Lakers fans and players alike—that’ll be a fun watch.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Dončić Extends Awesome Invite to Kid Who Went Viral As Lakers Fan of the Game .
