NBA Legend Magic Johnson Has a Special Message for Dodgers’ Manager After 13th Title Success

Fourteen consecutive postseason berths. 13 NL West division titles in 14 seasons. A favorite for a World Series three-peat. The Los Angeles Dodgers are on a level of their own. The Cincinnati Reds delayed them once; the Dodgers did not let it happen again on Thursday. With an 8-2 victory over the Reds, the Dodgers officially secured their fifth consecutive division title. The Dodgers’ dominant run has drawn praise from an NBA legend.

Widely considered the best player in basketball, the five-time NBA champion, Earvin Magic Johnson, congratulated the Dodgers and their manager on their latest achievement. He posted a photograph of himself with manager Dave Roberts. The former Lakers star is also a minority stakeholder (2.3%) in the Dodgers. He contributed when Guggenheim Baseball bought the team back in 2012.

Taking to X, Johnson wrote, “Cookie and I want to congratulate our Los Angeles Dodgers, Dave Roberts and his staff, along with Dodger fans around the world for clinching the NL West title for the 13th time in 14 years!”

Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers’ most expensive offseason addition ahead of 2026, played a key role in winning. After Freddie Freeman drew a walk at the top of the first, Tucker drove in a two-run homer to take an early 2-0 lead. A triple short of a cycle, Tucker led the Dodgers’ offense with a 4-hit, 3-RBI game. At Great American Ballpark on Thursday, Tucker looked like the 4-year, $240 million player the Dodgers signed. Apart from the home run, Tucker also recorded an RBI double and scored a run in the fourth. The Dodgers scored three runs in total at the top of the fourth.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with back-to-back singles by Freeman and Tucker, followed by an RBI double from veteran Max Muncy. Top prospect Josue De Paula extended the lead to 7-0 with an RBI single. Miguel Rojas homered in the ninth to score the winning run.

The Dodgers might be missing their MVP, Shohei Ohtani, and All-Star Andy Pages, due to injuries, but the team has maintained its dominance.

“You get so mired in each year, it’s hard to have any perspective,” said Andrew Friedman, per MLB.com. “We’ve had our share of troubles this year. Things where we had to work harder than we expected on a couple of fronts. But the important thing is how we finish and how we go into October.”

With their 13th division title, the Dodgers are now the only team in major league history with 24 division titles. They lead the Braves by one and the New York Yankees by three division titles. On Thursday, the Dodgers took another step toward becoming the first team to secure a World Series three-peat since the 1998-2000 Yankees. They have tied the Braves’ record for postseason appearances in a row by earning their 14th straight playoff berth.

Despite multiple setbacks, including injuries to key players and a 7-game losing stretch, the Dodgers have emerged at the top of the NL West. The only team to unseat them from the top spot in the division in recent history is the San Francisco Giants. During the 2021 campaign, the Giants emerged one game ahead of the defending World Series champions. The Los Angeles team has set a benchmark that is hard to rival.

“There is certainly a higher expectation when, if you don’t win the World Series, you fail,” manager Dave Roberts said, per MLB.com. “But that’s kind of part of what you signed up with the Dodgers.”

The setbacks did not deter the Dodgers; as Muncy said, “We’ve had guys go down. We’ve had guys step up in their place.” On Thursday, the team did the same, as the bullpen stepped up.

A bullpen game to clinch the NL West

With two-way player Shohei Ohtani on their 26-man roster, the Dodgers usually enjoy a six-man rotation. However, Ohtani has been shut down, and other injuries have reduced their rotation to four stretched-out starters with 8 games remaining in the regular season. Hence, the bullpen took over against the Cincinnati Reds.

Justin Wrobleski opened the game and threw three spotless innings while striking out three. Blake Treinen took over from Wrobleski in the fourth and allowed a home run to Sal Stewart. London Knack relieved Treinen in the next frame and silenced the Reds for four innings. Seth Halvorsen came to pitch in the ninth and allowed a run before striking out Matt McLain to end the game.

Once the game was over, wild celebrations broke out inside the visitors’ clubhouse at the Great American Ball Park. Kike Hernandez reportedly pranked Yoshinobu Yamamoto by shoving a champagne bottle down the Japanese player’s shorts, per the New York Post. They were not done with a toast and a speech from Roberts this time.

The Dodgers would now aim to surpass the Milwaukee Brewers at the top of the National League. They are currently two games behind the Brewers. With a first-round bye, the Dodgers will advance directly to the division series and will get the much-needed five days off after the regular season ends.

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