LOS ANGELES -- In a town where a new star is born every day and an old one is chewed up and spit out right behind them, two men have withstood the test of time in Hollywood.
Over the past two decades, the weekend has held a warm comfort for L.A. sports fans across the city. During the day, on top of the hill at Dodger Stadium, No. 22 would take the stretch from the mound and bend batters to their knees with his curveball. As if the seats around him were his own personal pews, he'd make the fans rise in unison to bask in his greatness, a pillar that would never crumble regardless of the lineup around him.
At night, those same fans could flock downtown to watch the Los Angeles Kings play. There, they'd find No. 11, the stalwart force of the team, a man whose actions spoke for him more than his words. A gentle, softspoken giant, the superstar-turned-captain would do anything asked of him to help his teammates succeed. Whether it was a big hit in the defensive zone to tip the tide of momentum or finding the split-second opening for a perfect pass to score a goal, the Kings faithful knew his impact would tell a larger story than any box score could tell.
On a murky, overcast Thursday without any fanfare, those two men who have silently carried their franchises on their backs announced their retirements after the respective ends of their seasons. Clayton Kershaw will call it quits after 18 years with the Dodgers as they are battling for the National League West divisional championship and a chance to repeat as champions. Anze Kopitar has a full season ahead of him with the Kings, but will also be hanging up his skates come the conclusion of his 20th season.
Both are two-time champions with one final shot at completing their own triple crowns.
For Kershaw, the season began looking as if it would be a question of whether he could even finish the season on the roster. After getting struck hard in his ramping-up process in Oklahoma City with the minor league team, and having a fastball that was anything but, the Angels rocked him in his debut of the year. His quest to reach 3,000 strikeouts seemed like it would almost have to come from picking spots and hoping not to ruin his reputation through a myriad of disastrous outings.
Then, like he's done so many times throughout his historic tenure, Kershaw adapted. Even without the velocity, like the artist he is, Kershaw outpitched batters. He dotted the zone. He set up pitches in advance to make them second-guess at the opportune time. Weak pop ups. Double plays to get out of a stressful inning. Before you knew it, he had already crossed the 3,000 benchmark and, as usual, was holding the Dodgers' ship steady when everything else around him was going sideways. As long as he had his pinpoint control and his brain intact, he would pilot the franchise he holds so dear to wherever they needed to go next.
In the case of Kopitar, already the holder of the most games in a Kings uniform in history, he will also be searching for the final piece of his legacy in his ultimate season. He sits at 1,278 points, only 29 from the legendary Marcel Dionne from becoming the all-time regular-season points leader in franchise history. Once he completes that mission, he will be looking towards another shot at the Stanley Cup, last winning it back in 2014 over the New York Rangers.
Whereas Kershaw has lifted the Dodgers, Kopitar himself has been the Kings for his 20 years of playing. While some teams shift and change as the years go by, since Kopitar has donned the uniform, the Kings have shaped around him. They've been defensive, relentless, and diligent over the course of his career, a philosophy that has never wavered regardless of the pieces placed around him. It didn't matter if there were better goal scorers or even more gifted players signed to the team; Kopitar was the king of the chessboard, the engine in which propelled the team around him.
To the everyday person, today will be just another boring Thursday, maybe tuning in to see if the Buffalo Bills stomp the Miami Dolphins into the ground. A day that many turn the page on tomorrow, looking forward to the weekend.
For Los Angeles sports fans, this is the beginning of the end of many childhoods across the city. A goodbye to two legends who, although never the loudest in the room, always left the most significant impression once they said goodbye.