Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Has Perfect Reaction to Dodgers Signing of Star Roki Sasaki

Oct 31, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers owner Magic Johnson celebrates after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in game four to win the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers legend and Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson didn't waste any time welcoming the Los Angeles Dodgers newest member, Japanese phenom and right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki. 

A few hours after Sasaki was announced he would be coming to Los Angeles, Johnson posted photos via X of himself and Sasaki holding up Johnson's No. 32 purple Lakers jersey. 

Welcome to Los Angeles and the World Champion Los Angeles @Dodgers Roki Sasaki! It’s a great day to be a Dodger fan! 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/UtExlQEmP0

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 18, 2025

The Lakers legend is part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has played a massive role in turning them into a powerhouse. 

This move to add Sasaki not only signifies that, but it shows the Dodgers will be great for a very long time.

Sasaki announced on Friday that he would take his talents to the Dodgers after months of speculation. There were many teams in the running, but this past week, he narrowed down his teams to the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, and the Dodgers. 

One by one, he started to inform teams that he would not be joining their club, and the team that was the front runners all long came away with the pitcher who could ultimately be the greatest pitcher to come out of Japan. 

Sasaki had this to say about his decision to come to Los Angeles and sport the Dodger blue to kick off his Major League career. 

“I have signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Sasaki announced on Instagram.

“It was a very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career.”

BREAKING: ROKI SASAKI IS A DODGER!!!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/oBsBLaNXSw

— theScore (@theScore) January 17, 2025

The 23-year-old phoemon is coming over from Nippon Professional Baseball and is widely considered one of the best pitching prospects in the world.

The right-handed pitcher dominated in the NPB. Across four seasons, Sasaki recorded a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA, along with 505 strikeouts to just 88 walks across 394.2 innings pitched.

While Saskai is a thing to behold and already has one of the more polished pitches for his age, he is not even close to being a finished product. 

“Roki is by no means a finished product. He knows it and the teams know it,” Wolfe added. “But he is a guy that wants to be great. He’s not coming here to be rich or to get a huge contract. He wants to be great. He wants to be one of the greatest ever. I see that now and he has articulated it.”

It's a great time to be a sports fan in Los Angeles. 

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