One Piece’s Luffy Joins the Los Angeles Lakers in Shocking Collab

As an ardent fan of both anime and sports, I am absolutely thrilled about the Los Angeles Lakers partnering with the Straw Hat Pirates for a special event in 2025! My love for One Piece has been unwavering since its inception, and seeing it intertwine with my beloved NBA is nothing short of magical.

In North America, professional sports teams have been increasingly collaborating with anime, especially among athletes. From NBA, NFL, UFC, MLB stars to many others, their love for anime is no secret. As the popularity of anime continues to rise, not only are individual players participating but entire teams are officially joining in. In 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers will be teaming up with the Straw Hat Pirates, creating an extraordinary event that will appeal to both basketball and anime enthusiasts across North America.

For the first time since 2024, the Straw Hats aren’t just sailing the Grand Line – they’re stepping onto a different field! Back then, they collaborated with the MLB’s Boston Red Fox, turning a regular baseball game into an anime-themed extravaganza. The Straw Hat Pirates even joined forces with the team for a special night filled with exclusive merchandise. Now, it’s time to dribble, not sail! The details about the Grand Line invading the National Basketball Association haven’t been fully disclosed yet, but mark your calendars – the date has been set and artwork for this extraordinary crossover is already being created!

[RELATED: One Piece Announces Special Boston Red Sox Collaboration]

Monkey D. Luffy Joins The Lakers

It wouldn’t be fair for anyone without Devil Fruit abilities to play basketball against Luffy due to his unique rubber body and limb-stretching capabilities, making it difficult for opponents to stop him from scoring. On February 28th of next year, a One Piece Night will be held for the Los Angeles Lakers, demonstrating the growing popularity of the Grand Line in North America and beyond. More information and exclusive artwork for the event can be found below.

The Straw Hats And Basketball

Although no episode of One Piece depicts the Straw Hats playing basketball, it doesn’t rule out their involvement in sports altogether. In the special anime titled “Dream Soccer King,” the Straw Hats participated in a soccer match against formidable adversaries. This brief installment, which ran for five minutes, was a tribute to the 2002 World Cup and included a guest appearance by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda himself.

Of course, basketball is no stranger to the world of anime. Most recently, Slam Dunk made a comeback with what is considered one of the greatest anime films of all time, The First Slam Dunk. Other examples of basketball anime include Kuroko’s Basketball, Buzzer Beater, and Ahiru no Sora.

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2024-12-21 00:09