"Makes me want to try it, although it's a sport I'm not good at" - When Shohei Ohtani revealed his favorite Manga and its influence

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is an enigma. He is by far the biggest draw the sport has to offer, coming off a successful 2024 where he earned his third MVP Award.

You cannot win three MVP Awards in this league without an insane amount of dedication to your craft. Ohtani has been a role model to younger athletes in that regard.

However, if you thought Ohtani was just all baseball, you would be mistaken. He sat down for an interview with GQ Sports in 2022 where fans got to know the slugger a bit better.

"I usually read manga on this iPad. My favorite is 'Slam Dunk.' I like some others too, but this one is my favorite. It's really cool. Makes me want to try [basketball], although it's a sport I'm not good at" said Ohtani.

Ohtani explained that he was big into reading Manga on his iPad, with "Slam Dunk" being at the top of his list. The manga was widely popular, coming out in the early 1990s, following the story of a high school basketball team in Japan.

The story has inspired Ohtani to try his luck at the sport of basketball. Despite being one of the best baseball players on the planet, he admits basketball is not his strong suit.

Shohei Ohtani takes rest and recovery extremely seriously

Los Angeles Dodgers - Shohei Ohtani (Photo via IMAGN)

Professional sports can take its toll on athletes. They are playing the game at the highest level and have to train all year round just to stay in the respective league the athlete is in.

For baseball, this is magnified. No other sport plays close to the amount of games that MLB players play during a given year. From March to October, if they are lucky, baseball players are playing nearly every day.

Shohei Ohtani has put an emphasis on his rest and relaxation, with a specifically designed pillow. Ohtani sent in data to AiR, which then made him a pillow to fit his needs.

"They took measurements of my head's shape and shoulders, and made it from that data.. Both sides are the right height that fits perfectly when I turn on my side" said Ohtani.

Ohtani believes that the pillow has saved him from tons of strained necks in the past. Especially with the amount of traveling that these professional baseball players do on a daily basis.