silverscreenandroll.com

Rui Hachimura says Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers winning title has motivated him to win

Celebrities attending Lakers games are commonplace, but it's a little different when the Dodgers are present.

The Dodgers are the only other Los Angeles sports organization with the same global notoriety as the Lakers and are equally beloved in Southern California.

Shohei Ohtani attended the most recent Lakers matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, and the team didn't disappoint, winning 107-98.

After the victory, Rui Hachimura discussed Ohtani being at the game and how his success has inspired him.

"I didn't know he was going to come," Hachimura said. "I found out right before the game. He's a very low-key guy. He don't want to be seen like that…We support each other. He supports us, he supports me. I support him. Of course, they won, but I think that kind of motivates me, too. I want to win here and we have a chance this year, too."

The bond between Hachimura and Ohtani has been a long-running one.

When Ohtani joined the Dodgers, he was ecstatic about the signing. During the Dodgers' World Series run, Hachimura spoke glowingly about having him here as another great Japanese player, saying it was "good for Japan" to have another star thriving in Los Angeles.

While Hachimura has not found the same level of success as Ohtani has, he has an established role on the Lakers, having started in all 19 games he’s played this season.

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes and if Ohtani's success for the Dodgers motivates Hachimura to push just a bit more for the Lakers, that's good for everyone involved.

Against the Blazers with Ohtani present, Hachimura had one of his better games of the season. He had 23 points, five rebounds and four steals in the win and played a team-high 39 minutes.

The result helped snap a three-game losing streak and Hachimura's play was a big reason the Lakers found success even with LeBron James being ruled out of the contest.

Perhaps the Lakers should consider giving Ohtani some season tickets because if his presence unlocks that level of play from Hachimura, it'd be worth every penny.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at@ECreates88.

Read full news in source page