Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw’s historic night, which saw him notch his 3,000th career strikeout in front of over 50,000 fans, wasn’t just a baseball milestone but part of his Los Angeles legacy. Now, longtime Lakers radio voice John Ireland compared Kershaw’s emotional bond with the city to the greatness of late Kobe Bryant, LA’s beloved Black Mamba.
Clayton Kershaw and Kobe Bryant’s Shared LA Journey and Legacy
Los Angeles has seen plenty of legends represent the city, win big, and walk away with honors, but few have deeply woven into the fabric of LA and its people as much as Kershaw and Bryant.
During a recent segment on ESPN Los Angeles, Lakers radio broadcaster Ireland captured and reminded fans of what the two sporting icons meant to the city.
He wasn’t just reacting to a pitching milestone. Kershaw had just become only the third pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 strikeouts with a single team, all with the Dodgers, all in LA, now in his 18th year with the franchise.
Clayton Kershaw’s 3000th Strikeout. 🍾🍾 pic.twitter.com/Z4lmAE339H
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 3, 2025
“From age 18 to age 40, they were ours,” Ireland said. “There’s a Kobe element to this, Greg.”
Like Kershaw, Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career in Los Angeles. He became an 18-time All-Star and won five championships with the Lakers before retiring in 2016.
“We watched Kobe grow up,” he recalled. “He married Vanessa when he was 19. I think she was 18. You know, Clayton’s known Ellen that whole time, and he spent his whole career with us.”
Kersh’s milestone last night has us thinking about the Black Mamba 🐍🤍@LAIreland on the Los Angeles legends, Clayton Kershaw & Kobe Bryant pic.twitter.com/TVbIEPL5jg
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 4, 2025
According to Ireland, it wasn’t just about Kershaw and Kobe’s longevity. Los Angeles witnessed two stars evolve from kids to legends, and that created an intimate connection with the city.
The bond ran both ways. Kobe frequently showed support for the Dodgers. Kershaw has always been vocal about his love for the Lakers. Even after the Black Mamba’s tragic passing in 2020, his presence is still felt, carried forward by Vanessa Bryant and their daughters.
And on the night Kershaw etched his name into history with his 3,000th strikeout, Vanessa was there at Dodger Stadium, joined by daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. They celebrated with the crowd, another fan moment, one which Vanessa shared on Instagram.
“And so when those guys did stuff, like when Kobe got 60 points and said, Mamba out, when Kershaw last night acknowledged the crowd, it means more,” Ireland noted. “Because we watched. They’re ours.”
“We watched those guys grow up,” he continued. “We saw them when they were single. We saw them when they were married. We saw them when they didn’t have kids. Now we’re watching all their kids.”
On this day in 2016… Kobe Bryant capped off his legendary career with 60 points in his final game. #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/CSzA97R5v8
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 13, 2022
“It’s just a really cool L.A. moment,” Ireland remarked.
Bryant gave L.A. 20 years of greatness. Kershaw is now in Year 18 in Dodger Blue, counting his final chapters of a legendary baseball career. The city has stood by them through every up and down because the connection goes far beyond just admiration; it’s about legacy and loyalty, and it’s the story of Los Angeles.