LULAC Hails Example Of Two Latino Star Players In The NBA Finals
Nation’s Largest and Oldest Civil Rights Organization Says Devin Booker and Brook Lopez Are Role Models of Reaching for Greatness
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is celebrating two Latino athletes playing in the NBA finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. Their lives and careers are providing millions of Latino youths watching them on network TV, an example of how talent, discipline and sacrifice can propel individuals to rise from humble beginnings to achieve the pinnacle of their profession. In this case, pro basketball. Devin Booker plays shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns and Brook Lopez is starting center for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Domingo Garcia - LULAC National President
“America’s fans are cheering for either Booker or Lopez as happens in pro sports games, especially championships. However, LULAC is cheering for both players because each of them is already a champion. These young men grew up in average middle-class neighborhoods from simple, hardworking families like millions of other boys and girls. They were not rich or famous and sports celebrities from birth. The difference is that their parents instilled in them the spirit of believing in themselves and striving for what they wanted, which they both did. Proof is that they became standout players since they were in high-school and have continued to excel at the game they love. Yes, the rewards are great but so is the sacrifice of achieving this level of play and overcoming the risks of injury to play as long as possible. LULAC salutes them both and wishes them continued success.”
Elsie Valdes-Ramos - LULAC National Board Member and Vice-President for Women
“The women of LULAC send a special salute to the devoted mothers of these star athletes. Deborah Ledford raised Brook Lopez and his twin brother in North Hollywood, California while Veronica Gutierrez, mother of Devin Booker, held a job as a cosmetologist in Grand Rapids, Michigan while raising her family. Their stories are those of millions of other Latinas who work outside the home sharing the responsibility as family breadwinners while caring for their children at the same time. It is poignant and heartwarming to see how Devin refers to his mother as ‘his rock’ and mentions her name often in his social media postings. For Deborah, many of us can identify with her words when she says her biggest job was feeding four growing boys every day. In her case, they were all more than six-feet tall by the time they became teenagers! Imagine the cooking and laundry that took not to mention, helping them with their education. She is the real hero here. Latinas all across the country and Puerto Rico cheer for the mothers of Brook and Devin and say, job well done.”
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services, and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting the critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/