The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot to be thankful for this year, and one of them is superstar hitter Shohei Ohtani signing with LA prior to the season. In their 20-4 victory against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Ohtani started the MLB's 50-50 club, hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in one season, a feat no one in the 100-plus years of the league has ever done. Likewise, LA has clinched a playoff spot with the win. Even Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid couldn't hide his admiration for Shohei Ohtani.
“Yup Ohtani is the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time],” Embiid posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The 76ers and the Dodgers
Joel Embiid's declaration on Shohei Ohtani means it takes a great player to know another, though the 76ers star has roughly the same level of playoff success as the guy on the Dodgers.
After languishing with Mike Trout on the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani has finally made the MLB postseason for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid has made the playoffs several times, but he has yet to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
However, Embiid does have a gold medal, having joined Team USA for their Paris Olympics campaign. Fans heckled and booed him for picking the US over France, but a gold medal is a gold medal.
Additionally, Embiid even hinted at leaving Team USA in 2028, but that may just be his usual trolling self speaking.
On the other hand, the Dodgers put all their cards into signing Ohtani, giving him the biggest contract in MLB history, a ten-year deal worth $700 million.
This contract signified the team's seriousness to launch a World Series run, after disappointing playoff flameouts since their last trophy in 2020. All those playoff failures have led fans to question Dave Roberts as a manager, believing that a team with talent like Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw, among others, should be perennial World Series contenders.
Outlook
Related Philadelphia 76ers NewsArticle continues below
On the NBA side, the Sixers have signed Paul George away from the Los Angeles Clippers to add further star power to their starting lineup of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
However, Nick Nurse might not lean on the 35-year-old George as much, particularly during the regular season. Besides his age, George has had extensive injury problems, though last season was his healthiest in a while.
He appeared in 74 games last year and every game in the first round of the playoffs, where the Dallas Mavericks eliminated them in six games.
Still, the 76ers are Embiid's team, and Maxey's to a lesser extent. Look for George to play more offensive support to both stars, defending and scoring from the wing.
