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Magic Johnson Gives Roki Sasaki Iconic Gift to Welcome Him to Dodgers

The Lakers legend greeted Los Angeles's newest star in a special way Friday night.

Tom Dierberger

Sasaki reacts to getting an out in the World Baseball Classic semifinals in March 2023.
Sasaki reacts to getting an out in the World Baseball Classic semifinals in March 2023. / Eric Espada / Getty Images
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Roki Sasaki became the latest star to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, joining a star-studded rotation for a club coming off a 2024 World Series title.

While most of the MLB world outside the Los Angeles area wasn't thrilled to learn of Sasaki's decision, Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson certainly was excited. The Los Angeles Lakers legend welcomed Sasaki to Dodger Stadium by gifting him a signed No. 32 Magic Johnson jersey.

The jersey had Johnson's career accomplishments written inside the numbers: three-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, five-time NBA champion and 1992 "Dream Team" member with his signature scribbled on the bottom of the No. 2.

A pretty sweet gift for Los Angeles's newest star.

The 23-year-old Sasaki is one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in baseball. In 18 games with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japan Pacific League last season, Sasaki went 10–5 with a 2.35 ERA and whiffed 10.5 batters per nine innings.

Sasaki now joins a talented starting rotation already featuring Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tyler Gonsolin, Dustin May and Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are set to begin the 2025 season with a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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