Nov 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) listens to the National Anthem before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers
LOS ANGELES — Lakers legend Kobe Bryant helped recruit another phenom to LA more than three years after his death.
Before agreeing to a record-setting $700 million contract with Dodgers, Ohtani was shown a video by the franchise recorded by Bryant in 2017 that made the case for him to sign with the club, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan.
“One of the highlights of the whole meeting,” Ohtani said.
The video was recorded the same year Ohtani agreed to a deal with Angels following his career in Japan.
Gonzalez and Passan wrote:
“Now, more than three years after his death in a helicopter crash, Bryant’s reputation as the ultimate competitor spans all sports, and his message to Ohtani registered the same posthumously in 2023 as it would have then: There’s no better place in the world to win than Los Angeles, and there’s no better team in baseball to win with than the Dodgers.
“This was their best pitch—the equivalent of Ohtani’s sweeper to Mike Trout that ended the World Baseball Classic—and it suggested that even if 2012 and 2017 weren’t the time for Ohtani and the Dodgers, now was. Now was when he could build a legacy beyond the two American League Most Valuable Player awards and his reputation as the most talented player ever into something even better: championship rings.”
Ohtani was introduced as a Dodger on Thursday following a six-year career with the Angels. He told reporters through his interpreter that he prioritizes winning, which was a big reason he decided to sign with the Dodgers.
“I can’t wait to join the Dodgers,” Ohtani said. “They share the same passion as me. They have vision and history all about winning, and I share the same values. I just can’t wait to join the team and get it going.”
“I think the most important thing is everybody, from ownership all the way to the staff, we all are going to be on the same page,” said Ohtani. “We’re all going to be wanting to win, and I think that’s the most important thing, and I think this team has that.”
