How Anime Found Its Seat In The Locker Room

Plus, Sean O’Malley’s colors shine bright.

Sports. Culture. Curated Daily.

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Devin Booker is giving away free pairs of his signature shoe to fans and friends, most recently at NYC’s West 4th Street Courts. No word yet on if he took some ankles while there.

If you thought the world of superstar athletes and Super Saiyans didn’t crossover that much—think again. In recent years, more and more athletes have professed their love for anime with public pride.

Saints running back Jamaal Williams is leading the charge for anime fans in the sports world, showing off his fandom of Naruto, Pokemon, and more throughout his career. He brought out a local anime club to celebrate with him on the field after Sunday’s win.

@saints

Jamaal Williams invited the kids from Son of Saint’s #Anime Club to Sunday’s #Saints game and he met with them after the win! #animetiktok... See more

All through training camp, fans would bring him anime merch, hoping to grab his attention and barter for an autograph. Sometimes he’d walk off the practice field with quite a haul.

@saints

What will get Jamaal’s attention next? #saints #football #nfl #nola #neworleanssaints⚜️ #pokemon @jamaal williams347

Williams is in good company. Coco Gauff said she watched My Hero Academia before winning her match in the U.S. Open semifinals last year. Noah Lyles pulled out Yu-Gi-Oh cards all the way through the Paris Olympics.

In the Premier League, players pay homage to their favorite shows—from Dragon Ball Z to One Piece—with their goal celebrations.

@afcb

Solanke’s anime celebrations define aura 🤌 #afcb #anime #premierleague #football #uksports #fyp

What’s the appeal of anime? Well, first, it rules. Second, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that athletes who work hard their entire lives to achieve a singular goal are attracted to the art form. Shohei Ohtani’s career arc nearly matches that of an anime protagonist.

@mamadaking

Goated #anime #jujutsukaisen #baseball #weeb #foryou #fyp

Anime has a seat in the locker room, and it isn’t leaving any time soon.

UFC heads to The Sphere this weekend for what promises to be a fight night unlike any we’ve ever seen. Headlining the show is bantamweight champion (and social media sensation) “Suga” Sean O’Malley, who will defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili.

Fight fans know O’Malley for his work as a knockout artist, but he’s crossed over into the mainstream thanks to his larger than life persona, as well as his bold hairstyles.

@espnmma

#SeanOMalley takes his pre-fight hair seriously 😳 #ufc #mma #nocheufc #hairstyle (via hairpy.by.danya/IG)

While showmanship has always sold fights, fighters are now becoming influencers in their own right, and the result is PPV dollars and social media power. O’Malley is as comfortable performing for Instagram as he is in the octagon.

He said earlier this year that his social media earnings are triple what he makes for fighting in UFC. As far as taxes go, O’Malley is an influencer who fights for extra cash from time to time. He’s also a sweet dad.

@espnmma

#SeanOMalley and his #daughter ❤️ #NocheUFC #UFC306 #family #combatsports #Arizona #life (via #UFC)

Don’t get it twisted though—few in the fight game throw a harder punch.

Brock Purdy and Breece Hall lived together while at Iowa State. Years later they faced off against one another on Monday Night Football. Get those jerseys framed, boys.