NBA and MLB: Partnering with Japanese anime!
・NBA’s LA Lakers team up with “ONE PIECE”
・MLB teams up with “Demon Slayer” and “NARUTO”
Summary from the article published in the Chosun JoongAng Ilbo.
“ONE PIECE”: Luffy appears
On March 1st, the electronic scoreboard at the home ground of the NBA’s LA Lakers.
The main character Luffy from “ONE PIECE” appeared.
The scene where he makes a slam dunk appeared, and the crowd cheered loudly.
“ONE PIECE” produced by Netflix:
1. The main character Iñaki Godoy (Mexico) visited the stadium in LA.
2. The Lakers have Japanese player Rui Hachimura on their team.
“MLB x Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”: “LA Lakers x ONE PIECE”:
Recently, the US sports industry has been strengthening its partnerships with Japanese anime.
1. It’s not just the LA Lakers’ “ONE PIECE”.
2. MLB has teamed up with Japanese “Demon Slayer” and “NARUTO”.
The popularity of Japanese anime is spreading not only in the US but all over the world.
The decline of American-born anime:
Previously, MLB used the American-born “The Simpsons”.
However, interest in MLB increased when Japanese players suddenly entered the US.
“SpongeBob” (NFL): Disney (NBA):
As a space for experiencing a complex culture, it is relevant to the flow of the times.
MLB announces: Partnership with “Demon Slayer”:
On March 3, MLB released a collaboration video with “Demon Slayer” on its official website.
1. The video features scenes from “Demon Slayer” and the MLB logo.
2. “Specific details will be released in the future,” it was revealed.
MLB Tokyo Series: March 18th and 19th
The “MLB Tokyo Series” will be held at Tokyo Dome on March 18th and 19th.
Dodgers and Cubs:
1. Shohei Otani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki are on the Dodgers’ roster.
2. Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga are famous for the Cubs.
MLB’s San Francisco Giants:
Collaborated with “NARUTO” and released goods such as uniforms.
Boston Red Sox:
The Red Sox gave away “ONE PIECE” figures to visitors.
They also held a cosplay event featuring the characters.
NBA’s LA Lakers:
They make figures of the main characters from “Crayon Shin-chan.”
Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, etc.
The NBA is also holding exhibition games directly in Japan.
“Slam Dunk” is popular in Korea:
The manga “Slam Dunk” is also popular in Korea.
1. Patrick Ewing (Choi Chi-soo = Akagi Takenori),
2. Michael Jordan (Seo Tae-woong = Rukawa Kaede),
3. Magic Johnson (Yoon Dae-hyup = Sendo Akira),
NBA’s Giant Williamson: New Orleans Pelicans:
1. 80% of NBA players love Japanese anime.
2. Like ONE PIECE, I want to succeed in my field of expertise.
“NBA players are similar to the protagonist who works hard,” he said about “ONE PIECE.”
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