While the Los Angeles Dodgers were reaching agreements with Michael Confort and Blake Treinen at the start of the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas, Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko were on hand at Crypto.com Arena to watch the Los Angeles Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers.
The reeling Lakers were fresh off a disappointing 1-3 road trip and playing without LeBron James as he missed the game due to left foot soreness. L.A. struggled early before coming away with a 107-98 win to snap their three-game losing streak.
Prior to tipoff, Ohtani and Mamiko were gifted custom Lakers jerseys. Ohtani’s fittingly featured his same No. 17 with the Dodgers, and Tanaka, a former professional basketball player in Japan, took No. 12.
SHO-TIME 💜 💛 pic.twitter.com/p9hZFF8Nbb
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 9, 2024
No longer the recipient of the biggest contract in American sports history. pic.twitter.com/WsMC4cFqvg
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) December 9, 2024
Ohtani was later shown on the video board during a timeout in the action, and he drew loud cheers from fans in attendance. Ohtani previously attended Lakers games in recent years, including last offseason while the sports world waited on his free agency decision.
Monday marks the one-year anniversary for when Ohtani announced on Instagram he planned to sign with the Dodgers. That amounted to a record-setting contract at the time of 10 years and $700 million.
But Ohtani holding the title of richest contract in North American sports history only lasted one year due to Juan Soto signing with the New York Mets for 15 years and $765 million. There additionally is a way for Soto’s total contract value to reach $805 million if the Mets choose to void his opt-out clause and raise the average annual value to $55 million, starting with the 2030 season.
Rui Hachimura appreciates Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani and Lakers forward Rui Hachimura share a connection as professional athletes hailing from Japan, and it’s the basis of mutual respect and admiration.
Hachimura did not get a chance to speak with Ohtani on Sunday night but nevertheless has gained added motivation from watching him win a World Series with the Dodgers.
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