By Nicholas Martinez , October 14, 2025
Los Angeles saw two of its longtime star athletes make major announcements regarding their careers Sept. 18., including Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw who announced his retirement following the 2025 season and Kings’ center Anze Kopitar who declared the 2025-26 NHL season would be his last.
Kopitar and Kershaw are not the only stars who recently made statements about their retirement, as the Lakers’ LeBron James and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford also commented on the end of their careers, potentially marking the end of an era in the LA sports scene.
Kershaw, who spent all 18 seasons of his MLB career with the Dodgers, closes his career with two World Series titles, three Cy Youngs and a National League MVP. But, his contributions stretch beyond the baseball diamond and into the hearts of fans like Aaron Coronel, a liberal studies student and lifelong Dodgers fan.
“I’m very grateful for what Clayton Kershaw has done for Los Angeles,” Coronel said. “He will always be an LA sports icon, but it’s very worrying when I see players aging and thinking about retiring soon.”
With all four superstars nearing the end of their careers, replacing their skillsets is may be no easy task,
Kershaw’s replacement may not just be one person, as pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a career season with a 2.49 earned run average and perennial MVP Shohei Ohtani has emerged as the team’s top star, becoming MVP in his first season with the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Rams, however, may not have a clear-cut replacement for their aging star quarterback Stafford.
“I’m most worried about the quarterback situation when Stafford retires, but I have confidence in the team to find his replacement,” Coronel said.
The Rams recently dealt with another superstar’s retirement when multi-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald called it quits at the end of the 2023 NFL season. The Rams have since rebuilt their defensive line, having drafted Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, who all emerged as starters.
The team may have their eyes on a replacement already, as general manager Les Snead was seen speaking with Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who can declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Rams possess two first-round picks for the 2026 draft and have the flexibility of using one for a quarterback like Manning, or even to trade up in the draft to make an earlier selection.
As for the Lakers, the purple and gold acquired all-NBA guard Luka Doncic this past February, bringing another star to the City of Angels. Doncic, who is a five-time all-star, five-time All-NBA first teamer and former scoring leader, was sent to LA in exchange for Anthony Davis in a move that stunned the sports world, even leading some fans and players to think the trade was fake.
The Lakers’ LeBron James begins his latest NBA campaign with retirement speculation, and an injury sidelining him for the first few weeks of the season.
James’ impact goes beyond the city of LA, as he is considered a “face of the league” per Complex Sports due to his off-the-court impact and personality, and on a league-wide scale, his replacement may come in the form of Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards.
“For being the face of the entire NBA, I think Anthony Edwards will be the face of the league,” said computer engineering student and avid basketball fan Derek Jacoby. “He obviously has the ability on the court, and off the court he loves to make headlines, has his own shoe already, and is a likeable, charismatic guy.”
James further fueled retirement speculation with a post titled “The Second Decision” Oct. 6 but followed the initial post with the revelation that it was all for an advertisement.
Another avid basketball fan and Kinesiology student Joseph M. also believes Anthony Edwards is next in line for the face of the league, but also offers an alternative option.
“I see players like Anthony Edwards or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be the next face of the league,” Joseph said.
Superstars may come and go, and the LA sports scene is currently experiencing the going aspect. Whether each of LA’s teams and the respective leagues they play in are prepared, their fans will miss their impact on and off the field.
Feature image courtesy of Cael Cross