The Los Angeles Lakers are the most famous team in Hollywood, although Shohei Ohtani may have surpassed LeBron James as the biggest athlete in the city, if not the world.
Ohtani, every night, has millions of American fans tuning in to watch him, and even more Japanese fans battling the timezone to watch him play on both sides of the ball. The three-time MVP crushed 55 home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season and is the runaway favorite to win his fourth MVP, giving him second place on the all-time leaderboard.
Ohtani has passed even Ichiro Suzuki as the biggest name in Japanese baseball, and his stardom has followed him to America.
Harry How/Getty ImagesLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 30: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates a solo home run during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Lakers Star Reacts to Meeting Ohtani
Rui Hachimura was not the first Japanese NBA player, although he quickly became the best. He leads Japanese-born players in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in 2019, he has since been traded to the Lakers.
In Los Angeles (and Japan), Ohtani is a much bigger star, and Hachimura got a chance to meet “Shotime” last season.
“He’s kind of tall, so kind of surprising,” said Hachimura on ESPN LA on September 29th about his first time meeting Ohtani. “He’s big.”
Hachimura is the face of Japanese basketball. Ohtani, on the other hand, is an all-time great. It helps that Japan is focused on baseball over basketball, as well.
“I think it’s not only about sports now, it’s everything about him,” Hachimura added. “I love it. I love the scene of watching him, especially since he played in LA. It’s cool stuff.”
Ohtani’s Celebrity Passes Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James has been the face of the NBA since being drafted in 2003. Ohtani is certainly the biggest name in MLB, but comparing the two is hard.
Of course, it helps that Ohtani’s dog, Decoy, has a Wikipedia page. Ohtani is fiercely private, but he went as far as to hide the identity of his wife from the press and fans.
The most-viewed NBA Finals ever didn’t include James; it was the 1998 series between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, averaging 29 million fans. In Japan alone, a quarterfinal World Baseball Classic game featuring Ohtani on the mound (and batting) garnered 36 million viewers.
America has not had a celebrity like Ohtani since Michael Jackson–not Jordan–and even that might be a bit of a stretch.
While Hachimura, and by proxy the Lakers, are the face of Japanese basketball, it stands to reason that Ohtani is the most famous Japanese person alive right now, regardless of occupation. Meeting him was a big moment for Hachimura.
The Dodgers will kick off the postseason on September 30 against the Cincinnati Reds in the wildcard game, and Heavy Sports has fans covered with up-to-date stories and scores.
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