The Lakers are Hollywood’s most famous team, but today in Los Angeles there may be someone with even greater global projection than LeBron James: Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese star of the Dodgers is a worldwide phenomenon, followed nightly by millions of fans in the United States and by millions more in Japan who stay up late to watch him pitch and hit.

This season, he hit 55 home runs and is on track to win his fourth MVP award, which would place him second on the all-time list behind only Barry Bonds.

Ohtani has even surpassed Ichiro Suzuki’s popularity as Japan’s most iconic baseball figure, and his cultural impact extends beyond sports. His fame has made him the most recognizable Japanese figure in the world.

Rui Hachimura, drafted ninth overall in 2019 by the Washington Wizards and now a player for the Los Angeles Lakers, leads all Japanese-born players in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in NBA history. Yet even for him, Ohtani is on another level. Speaking to ESPN LA, Hachimura recalled his first meeting with the Dodgers star, saying he was surprised by Ohtani’s size and presence.

As the face of Japanese basketball, Hachimura recognizes Ohtani’s status as a baseball legend. He explained that Ohtani’s influence goes beyond sports, saying he enjoys watching him play, especially since he does so in Los Angeles, which he described as something special.

The magnitude of Ohtani’s fame can be seen in unusual details, such as the fact that even his dog, Decoy, has a Wikipedia page. A private man who kept his wife’s identity secret, Ohtani’s image still transcends boundaries.

During the 2023 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, when Ohtani both pitched and hit, 36 million viewers in Japan tuned in… surpassing even the most-watched NBA Finals in history (29 million in 1998).

While Hachimura and the Lakers represent Japanese basketball, Ohtani is likely the most famous person from Japan today, regardless of profession. For Hachimura, meeting him was a special moment.