For this fan spotlight, we are featuring a mother-son duo in the form of Monica and Brandon Perez from Valencia, CA. Monica is an investment assistant and Brandon, 7, is a second grader at Valencia Valley Elementary School. I have met them both at Fiesta Lakers and learned that not only just avid Lakers fans, but they are great Sasha fans as well.

Monica and Brandon have been Lakers fans for as long as they could remember. Come game time, they wear their Lakers jerseys or anything with purple and gold in it. They also have a Sasha jersey but it is too big for Brandon at the moment. However, he hopes he can grow into it.

Not only is their Laker love a family affair, their neighbors are always in the know when it comes to the Lakers, especially when it’s game time. “They can hear us cheering or yelling all way from our house,” Monica added.

However, Monica and Brandon have been ardent Sasha fans since the day the met him at an autograph signing at Beverly Center’s Foot Locker in Los Angeles on January 17, 2009. The first thing that caught their attention was Sasha’s generous and humble nature. Monica recalled, “From the moment we walked up to him he was genuinely nice and so down-to-earth which made us feel like we were the only ones there.“

Brandon also loved meeting Sasha and had a little conversation with him when Sasha signed his basketball. Sasha asked Brandon if he played basketball and he said that he did. When Brandon said that he didn’t play basketball as well as Sasha, Sasha replied, “You will just practice every day.” Then Brandon exchanged knuckles with him as well as a big high-five.

When asked about their favorite Sasha moments, Monica and Brandon picked a few of the entertaining moments of Sasha’s NBA career. Monica said that she liked the game where Lamar Odom passed the ball to Sasha when he wasn’t in the game, thinking that he was. “The look on Sasha’s face was priceless,” she pointed out, “It shows us that even professional athletes make mistakes.” Brandon liked when Sasha dunked on two Sacramento Kings and the reactions of Sasha’s teammates and the crowd.

Monica and her husband Luis also had the opportunity to surprise Brandon recently by taking him to his first Lakers game. They played against the Atlanta Hawks and Brandon also got to witness Sasha’s first points of the season. He also got on the Jumbotron dancing to the music. Monica said, “He was amazed at how tall all the Lakers players were and kept pointing out that he could see Sasha!”

Aside from meeting Sasha at his public appearances and watching him play at the Staples Center or on television, the Perezes’ admiration for Sasha has reached another level. Brandon was inspired by Sasha to become a better basketball player and asked his parents to enroll him in Santa Clarita Parks and Recreation’s basketball program. He is such a fan of Sasha that he was inspired by his passion for the game, quickness on the court, three-point shooting and the fact that he cheers for his teammates when he’s on the bench.

After watching Sasha’s “Before the Bigs” special, Monica acknowledged that she and her family were not only inspired by Sasha but by his parents as well. She mentioned, “They provided him with the best training they could, even if it meant him living far away from home at such a young age. They supported his dream just like we are supporting Brandon’s.”

Being the supportive parents that they were, Monica and Luis felt that it was their responsibility to provide Brandon with opportunities to enhance his basketball skills. After two seasons with Santa Clarita’s Parks and Recreation basketball program, they signed him up for a more competitive and in-depth program, CAVS Youth Basketball based in Chatsworth, CA. CAVS Youth Basketball is a heavily competitive program and the main focus of the program is to develop kids into better basketball players on and off the court. This focus attributes to their success in the San Fernando Valley.

“Whether it may be education or sports we are always trying to prepare him for what’s ahead and the CAVS are providing that for Brandon and his teammates,” Monica raved.

When Brandon joined the CAVS, he was asked to pick a jersey number. It is no surprise that he requested to be “#18” in honor of Sasha, his basketball inspiration.

Not only was Monica taken with Sasha’s genuine nature and skills on the basketball court, she also liked that Sasha is a good role model for children of all ages. Whether it is something like the “Acts of Kindness” contest or helping out schools in need, she admires how Sasha cares about the community. Monica also mused that Sasha embodies qualities any parent would like their child to have, making him a suitable role model for Brandon and kids just like him.

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Here are Monica and Brandon’s messages to Sasha:

Brandon’s message:

I hope one day you will get to see me play basketball knowing that you inspired me and hear my name being announced, “Introducing your small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Perez!”

Monica’s message:

Sasha,

Thank you for being such a great role model to our son and all the other kids who aspire to be great basketball players on and off the court.

We wish you nothing but the best and congratulations on your ring!