Shohei Ohtani’s popularity is off the charts right now. Not only is he breaking records left and right, but he’s also winning over baseball insiders and fans alike. Sports commentator Rich Eiser, in a recent interview, literally said, “We’re out of descriptions and words to describe this dude.” And it’s a sentiment most can subscribe to, with fans flocking outside the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium for the limited edition merch hours before. And then, the merch is flipped for triple the price.

Ohtani’s reach is undeniable, but here is the big question—is he as iconic as Babe Ruth? Could the Japanese star even be considered as one of the greatest athletes in the world, like Michael Jordon? Well, fans might debate that, but Earvin Magic Johnson, part owner of the Dodgers team, weighed in on the matter and, when talking about Ohtani’s popularity, directly snubbed the NBA legends. Instead, said Ohtani’s craze could be compared to star powers like Taylor Swift & Michael Jackson.

Shohei Ohtani turning out to be a global icon

Magic Johnson seems to have a special place in his heart for Shohei Ohtani and we saw that on full display on Jimmy Kimmel Live.”As long as he’s [Ohtani] playing, we probably won’t sell the team,” said Johnson. Plus, when Kimmel brought out the fact that Ohtani is a modern-day Babe Ruth, Johnson agreed to it pretty quickly. Not just that, Johnson suggested that Ohtani’s historic season surpasses even the best seasons by Michael Jordon. “Probably close to it, but not this type” said Johnson, when asked if Jordon had a season like Ohtani’s. However, Jordan has six championship wins in his bag; Ohtani has none, but he is still young, which says a lot about his potential. 

But what stood out the most is Johnson’s comparison of Ohtani’s popularity with that of pop king Michael Jackson. “The world watching it, so it’s not just American fans who watch baseball. Also, he’s bringing in new fans who didn’t watch baseball. He’s that exciting, and so I’ve never seen this ever in my life. The only person I can compare is Michael Jackson, having this type of unbelievable hysteria everywhere he moves, everywhere he goes,” said Johnson on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It’s clear that Johnson sees Ohtani as more than a baseball player—he sees him as a cultural icon.

Moreover, Johnson also revealed how eight out of every ten Japanese fans, who come over from Japan, positively make it to the Dodger Stadium. These facts just tell you about the popularity that Shohei Ohtani is garnering, in a short time. 

Jimmy Kimmel pokes Johnson on Ohtani’s contract!

Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t help but poke some fun at Shohei Ohtani’s huge contract of $700 million for 10 years. Now, for context, Aaron Judge, who is also one of the more famous baseball players, has a 9-year $360 million contract, and that is the next closest in value to Ohtani’s. But there is a real kicker: Ohtani is not keeping the $70 million annually just off yet. The Dodgers are paying him $2 million a year, and the major chunk of the money will be given to him from 2034 to 2043. 

Jimmy Kimmel, being himself, cracked a joke on it. “I don’t know how you guys figured this deal out, where you say, We’re going to pay you almost nothing for the first, what, like 10 years. He had to accept it, and then you’re going to be like, ‘And then I’m going to sell the team, and whoever I sell it to will owe you $700 million.” But, selling the team is the last thing on Johnson’s mind, he said, given Ohtani’s game.

Of course, Kimmel didn’t stop there. He even teased the Los Angeles Dodgers team’s part-owner about the amount of ‘Dodger Dogs’ he could eat. Johnson, sadly, doesn’t eat much of the tasty treats now, and rather opts for a more healthy salad. The entire conversation between the talk show host and the former Los Angeles Lakers player was hilarious.

Johnson’s cutting back on the Dodger Dogs, but with Ohtani around, there’s certainly no shortage of excitement. The loud cheers of fans screaming ‘M-V-P’ when Ohtani steps into the mound, says plenty of his popularity. But do you think it matches Michael Jackson or Taylor Swift? Let us know in the comments below.