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Just a week back, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ official Instagram handle had hyped up the Lakers’ superstar Luka Dončić, writing, “Luka, keep those 40-balls coming!” Dončić did not disappoint. On Friday night, he recorded his third consecutive 40+ point game to start the season, becoming the first player in NBA history to do so since the legendary Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s. A night later, it was the Dodgers’ turn to script a first.
After a wild Game 7 of the World Series, the Dodgers came out as the champions once again, defending their 2024 title and becoming the first back-to-back champs since the New York Yankees did so from 1998 to 2000. And this time, it was Dončić’s turn to show up for them.
Luka Dončić Shows Love to the Dodgers’ Spirited Fight
The Dodgers won the game by a score of 5-4 in the 11th inning. Notably, Los Angeles was down the entire game. No. 9 hitter Miguel Rojas, who was not even in the lineup in the first five games of this series, hit a game-tying home run with one out in the ninth to tie the score at 4-4.
The LA side didn’t have a lead until past midnight, when catcher Will Smith hit the go-ahead 366-foot home run in the top of the 11th off Shane Bieber, giving LA a 5-4 lead.
Then there was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was pitching just a day after throwing 96 pitches, got Alejandro Kirk to ground out into a World Series-ending double play. That ensured a ninth title for the Dodgers organization. Celebrating the victory, Dončić wrote on X, “What a game!! Wow, congrats @dodgers.”
What a game!! Wow, congrats @Dodgers
— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) November 2, 2025
At the center of the historic win was Yamamoto, who earned the Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award. He pitched three games in the World Series, covering 17.2 innings, allowing just 10 hits, two runs, two walks, and recording 15 strikeouts.
The Japanese star stepped up big-time during clutch moments that earned him praise from Smith. “To be able to come in clutch, that was huge. You dream of those moments. Extra innings to put your team ahead. I’ll remember that one forever,” Smith said.
“He’s the MVP of this series. That was incredible. I talked to him yesterday, I said, ‘Hey, if you can give us one (inning), we’re gonna win. He gave us three! That was special.
“Special group of guys, man. We just never gave up. Kept fighting. Pitching our asses off. Hitting. Taking great at-bats. Finally punched through there. That was a fight. For seven games.” Notably, Dončić was not alone in hailing that spirited fight.
Lakers’ other superstar, LeBron James, who knows very well what it means to be in a Game 7, shared the excitement, writing, “The 2 best words in sports. GAME SEVEN!!!! Wow what a game!!!”
As much as the basketball royalty of the city is celebrating, the Dodgers’ win now brings the onus on them to replicate the success in the NBA arena. And the expectation cannot be higher. Not only because of Dončić, but another intriguing factor is that the Dodgers owner, Mark Walter, is now the Lakers’ majority owner.
The NBA officially gave the go-ahead for Walter’s record-setting purchase of the Lakers from the Buss family, valued at $10 billion, earlier this week. This World Series is Walter’s third title. And the timing could not have been better. The Lakers fans are surely keeping their fingers crossed.
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