LeBron James rocks Shohei Ohtani jersey before Lakers-Pelicans game

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was arguably the best player on a court filled with notable talent in Thursday’s showdown versus the Golden State Warriors, but the night still did not go as he and his teammates hoped. The NBA icon had words with opposing rookie Quinten Post, and LA lost what could prove to be a costly home game. A new day dawns, however.

James is looking to end Friday night with a win, as the adversity-stricken New Orleans Pelicans roll into Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers cannot afford to take any opponent lightly, though, with their Western Conference standing getting dicey in the final stretch of the regular season. The four-time NBA Finals MVP obviously knows the importance of showing up at this time of the year, but a little extra inspiration could never hurt.

James entered the arena with a Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers jersey, via Dodgers Nation, paying homage to the other global phenomenon that resides in the City of Angels.

LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani can relate to each other

The Japanese juggernaut blasted a walk-off home run on Wednesday to cap off a big comeback versus the Atlanta Braves and boost the reigning World Series champions to a history-making 8-0 record. The Dodgers did drop their first game of the campaign versus the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, but they are still where the Lakers want to go: the pinnacle.

Again, that is a familiar place to LeBron James, with his most recent ascent to the championship mountaintop coming in 2020, but time is of the essence. Although he is averaging 24.5 points, 8.4 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent, the 40-year-old is in the final chapter of his storied playing career. He wants to win another ring before closing the book, and the 2025 playoffs might offer that opportunity.

The Lakers are 46-30 and currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference. Even with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves by his side, James knows how challenging it will be to run the gauntlet and overcome the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder. He has defied logic for much of this season, though, which is something Shohei Ohtani is accustomed to doing himself. The three-time MVP has boggled minds by excelling both in the batter’s box and on the mound. He seeks to resume his two-way splendor at some point soon.

It would be an indescribably excellent run for Los Angeles if both of these transcendent athletes can climb to the top with their respective franchises in the span of less than a year.