Rui Hachimura reveals his Dodgers-Padres choose, drops ‘baseball participant’ admission

Rui Hachimura and the Los Angeles Lakers are centered on getting ready for the 2024-25 NBA season. With the MLB postseason underway, although, Hachimura mentioned some baseball subjects as effectively throughout his media availability on Thursday. Hachimura is from Japan and is aware of each Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres stars Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish. So which workforce is Hachimura cheering for within the Padres-Dodgers upcoming playoff collection?

“Dodgers… You already know what, truly, Yu Darvish (is on the Padres). That is robust,” Hachimura mentioned, by way of Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation. “He is (Darvish) like my mentor, you realize. After I bought to the league… he was at all times, like, supporting me. He was at all times there. He got here to the sport one time, too, one time I keep in mind after I was in D.C. He had… my jersey on… I am simply glad to see these Japanese athletes, they’re enjoying towards in one of many greatest phases on the planet.”

Hachimura initially mentioned the Dodgers earlier than he remembered that Darvish is on the Padres. He then acknowledged that he’s glad to see each Japanese stars main their groups within the playoffs.

Rui Hachimura will get actual on his relationship with Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani is among the hottest gamers in all of sports activities. Shohei is on monitor to win the Nationwide League MVP Award in his first yr with the Dodgers. Hachimura was requested if he has spent a lot time with the Dodgers famous person.

“I met him a pair occasions,” Hachimura mentioned, by way of Starkand. “We did not actually have a dialog… I do know he got here to a recreation one time, too… After I was in D.C, once we performed towards the Lakers truly. He got here to observe the sport, we talked slightly bit.”

Hachimura and Ohtani are two of the most well-liked Japanese stars of their respective sports activities. In addition they each play in Los Angeles, so maybe Ohtani will come watch Hachimura play as soon as once more on the Crypto.com Enviornment.

Hachimura the baseball star?

Hachimura was additionally requested if he performed baseball rising up. The Lakers ahead responded by joking that he was “meant to be a baseball participant.”

“Rui truly means the bottom in baseball in Japanese,” Hachimura mentioned. “So, truly I used to be meant to be a baseball participant (he mentioned with amusing). I actually was, yeah. My Grandpa might be so disenchanted. We did plenty of observe collectively.”

The Lakers have excessive expectations for the upcoming NBA season. In the meantime, the Dodgers wish to attain the World Collection for the primary time since 2020 as they start their 2024 postseason journey on Saturday towards the Padres.

Hachimura and the Lakers might attend a number of Dodgers playoff video games in some unspecified time in the future. Los Angeles is definitely place to be from a sports activities standpoint in the meanwhile (you possibly can look previous the Los Angeles Rams’ 1-3 file).

Maybe the Dodgers will invite Rui Hachimura to take batting observe with the workforce after his baseball admission. That may be an excellent gesture that will excite each Dodgers and Lakers followers.