When Shaquille O’Neal was asked on Overtime if Shohei Ohtani is a bigger Los Angeles sports icon than him, the reply was honest, even though it was hard for Shaq to admit.
A fan, born and raised in Santa Monica, framed it perfectly.
“The question was whether Ohtani is a bigger LA sports icon than Shaq. The fan said, ‘Breaks my heart to say this directly to your face because I’m from Los Angeles, born and raised in Santa Monica. I cried when you left the Lakers. Shohei Ohtani, what he is doing right now will never be done in any sport ever again.”
“It is astonishing what he’s accomplishing right now. Granted, he hasn’t gotten to the third championship in a row, but he’s getting that opportunity this next upcoming year. And also, he’s got seven more years on that incredible contract on top of that. I don’t see this team winning one more championship. This is a team that’s going to win a couple more championships.”
“You are one of the greatest LA icons of all time, unquestionably. Every statue that’s been erected of you deserves to be there, and it should be twice the size. That being said, Shohei Ohtani is going to have skyscrapers built after him, man, because what he is accomplishing in the game of Major League Baseball has never been done in 150 years.”
Shaq paused. Then he agreed.
“I hate to say it, but he’s correct. One reason only. There’s a lot of people in Japan. There’s a lot of people in Japan. I remember dominating the All-Star votes, and then when Yao Ming came, I would have to come off the bench. Why? Because China has a lot of people. But everything he said about that gentleman is correct. And Japan has a lot of people, so.”
Ohtani is not just a superstar for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the most important baseball figure in Japan, a country of over 120 million people, many of whom follow him religiously. Every game, every highlight, every milestone ripples across the Pacific. His presence turns a local LA moment into a global event.
And then there is what he actually does on the field.
Ohtani is a five-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, four-time MVP, and all four MVPs were unanimous. No one else in baseball history has done that more than once. He has won six All-MLB First Team selections, four Silver Sluggers, three Hank Aaron Awards, two home run titles, and an NL RBI crown. Over the last five seasons, he has produced 45.2 WAR while redefining what a baseball player can be, hitting at an elite level while also pitching like a frontline starter.
That kind of dominance does not just transcend eras. It transcends sports.
Shaq, of course, is still Shaq. A four-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, league MVP, 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA selection, and two-time scoring champion. He is a global icon with over 36.5 million Instagram followers, nearly triple Ohtani’s 10.4 million. His personality, brand, and cultural footprint stretch far beyond basketball.
But this debate was not about who has the most followers; it was about icon status in Los Angeles.
Shaq was the face of the Los Angeles Lakers during one of the most dominant dynasties in NBA history. Ohtani, however, is doing something rarer. He is the face of an entire nation’s sporting pride while playing in LA. Every Dodgers home run is also a headline in Tokyo. Every MVP is a moment shared across continents.
And that is the reason why the Diesel gave up. Not because Ohtani is more famous than him or his legacy is smaller. But because Ohtani’s greatness carries a global multiplier that very few athletes in history have ever had.
In Shaq’s words, Japan has a lot of people. And in modern sports, that changes everything.
