L.A. Native, Mexican Hoops Hero: UCLA's Lorenzo “El Matador” Mata

In a Minute with Evan Lovett

Audacy

Society & Culture, Places & Travel

5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The NCAA Tournament starts this week and I go 1-on-1 with Lorenzo "El Matador" Mata, L.A. native and Mexican American trailblazer who played basketball at UCLA and led the team to three consecutive Final Fours. Only six Mexican players have played in the NBA, including recent UCLA superstar Jamie Jaquez, and we talk about Mata's impact on Mexican-American basketball culture in Los Angeles as well as his legacy in L.A., Mexico, and beyond.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Yo, welcome to another episode of In a Minute with Evan Lovett, coming to you live from the IAM studios in the heart of Los Angeles.
0:18.4	This is one of my favorite times of year.
0:21.2	We're talking about March madness.
0:24.2	Now listen, I'm a baseball guy.
0:26.3	You guys know that, but college hoops is very, very special.
0:30.5	And this is probably the most special tournament or event in sports as far as I'm concerned.
0:36.2	Going back to my days at UCLA, I used to shut
0:40.3	everything down for the first two days of the tournament and go wire to wire and watch as much
0:46.3	of all the games as I could. And of course I'd be room for the Bruins. And you know,
0:52.3	times have changed obligations have taken the forefront, but we are
0:57.5	celebrating this week and I'm celebrating with a very, very special guest. I have the dude
1:04.3	that was a key member of the back-to-back-to- back final four UCLA Bruins.
1:11.4	I want to say in 2006, 7, and 8,
1:14.2	and a fan favorite to this day
1:17.0	strolling around UCLA campus at Pauly Pavilion.
1:21.6	I'm talking about a Mexican-American superstar
1:25.7	before the days of Jaime Hawkes, shout out.
1:29.2	But at least as far as I knew, a trailblazer in that community, in this community,
1:36.2	LA zone, Huntington Park Zone, Southgate High School alum, Lorenzo El Matador Mata.
1:43.8	What is up?
1:44.9	Welcome to the show, my man.
1:46.6	What up?
	...

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