The Lakers might have been missing LeBron James on Sunday night, but they gained a different kind of superstar presence when Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka took in the action at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers rolled out the red carpet for their high-profile guests, presenting them with custom jerseys. Ohtani's presence seemed to particularly inspire Rui Hachimura, who admitted post-game that his fellow countryman's success in LA motivates his own performance. Hachimura backed up those words with a stellar 23-point contribution to the Lakers' 107-98 victory over the Trailblazers.
In what turned into an eventful evening for the couple, Ohtani seemed more concerned with enjoying his date night than dwelling on the news that Juan Soto had just eclipsed his record-setting contract with a reported 15-year, $765 million Mets deal. The Japanese phenom and his wife Tanaka created an unintentionally adorable moment when they shyly covered their faces after being caught mid-conversation on the arena's big screen.
The star-studded crowd also included Matt Damon, Rich Paul, and Don Cheadle, but it was Ohtani and Tanaka who drew the biggest reaction from the crowd. The evening proved that in LA, the lines between baseball, basketball, and entertainment continue to blur, creating the kind of only-in-Los Angeles moments that make Crypto.com Arena more than just a basketball venue.
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This story was originally published December 9, 2024, 12:15 PM.