FC Tulsa reunites with L39ION for second annual cross-sport jersey swap ahead of Tulsa Tough weekend

FC Tulsa reunited with L39ION of Los Angeles, one of the top professional cycling teams in the country, for a second annual cross-sport jersey swap.

Led by cycling icon Justin Williams, L39ION joined FC Tulsa during training to exchange jerseys, engaged in cross-team conversations, and strengthened a growing bond between elite soccer and elite cycling. The tradition began last year and has become a highlight of Tulsa Tough week.

For Williams, FC Tulsa’s training shed light on the community he’s built back home, and the community fostered in the 918.

As a native of Los Angeles, California, Williams and his younger brother, Cory, have built L39ION of Los Angeles into one of the most recognizable teams in United States cycling. With roots stemming from their neighborhood on 39th Street, the siblings have helped push the sport onto the mainstream while providing an opportunity for inclusion and diversity in the sport. At age 13, Justin traded basketballs for bicycle helmets to travel across the world cycling as a teenager. His journey in the sport led him and Cory to Tulsa in 2014.

Ten years later, the Williams’ have returned annually, both climbing the ranks at the rigorous course while learning the city’s history along the way.

“I didn’t know anything about Black Wall Street or anything that happened within the town for most of the years that I’ve come here,” Justin said. “Then, at the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, my brother and I went one and two on the first stage of the race. So that was an incredibly, incredibly special moment.”

Now, as the founders of L39ION of Los Angeles, the Williams continue to come back, both building upon his community and absorbing the culture and community FC Tulsa and the city at-large have forged.

Hardware will be at the top of the docket as L3GION takes to the streets of Tulsa this weekend.

Tulsa Tough begins Friday June 6th.