The Dodgers reportedly dug up an old video from the late, great Kobe Bryant during their recent free-agent pitch to two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.
The video, around a minute long, was originally supposed to be used in Los Angeles’s pursuit of Ohtani in 2017 before he signed with the Angels, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan.
Bryant filmed the video in 2017 as a favor to the team, spreading the message that there’s no better place to win in Los Angeles, and more specifically, at Dodger Stadium.
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Bryant, the 18-time All-Star who brought home five NBA championships with the Lakers from 1996 to ‘16, will forever be tied to winning in Los Angeles.
Whether it was Bryant’s video, the unique contract clauses or simply the $700 million value, Ohtani took up the Dodgers’ offer and signed a 10-year contract with the club last weekend. He was officially introduced into the organization Thursday in a press conference attended by hundreds of media members.
Just like Bryant was for two decades, Ohtani now is the biggest sports star in Hollywood.
