On opening night, new Los Angeles Lakers starting center Walker Kessler stood tall and took advantage of a matchup against the small Golden State Warriors — proving himself to be well worth thus far of the $130 million the team splashed on him.
In his debut for the Purple and Gold, Kessler recorded 26 points and nine rebounds, and he shot the ball perfectly from the field — making all 12 of his field-goal attempts on the night to help power LA to a 127-105 victory. Kessler also added two blocks for good measure, and he immediately showed why the Lakers made a concerted effort to sign him in free agency.
After the game, the Lakers' new starting center received some love from a legend of the franchise in Shaquille O'Neal, who showered him with praise after his statement game against the Dubs.
“The way you played tonight you played like the best big man in the league. I'm happy for you, I'm proud of you. Welcome to the big man alliance. I love you brother. Continue to play well,” O'Neal said on ESPN's Inside The NBA, via Oh No He Didn't on X.
Shaq giving Walker Kessler his flowers:
"The way you played tonight you played like the best big man in the league. I'm happy for you, I'm proud of you. Welcome to the big man alliance. I love you brother. And I want you to guys to love the name Snowtime (Lakers)" https://t.co/cuCDJbPTlF pic.twitter.com/Qkis8iQKcc
— Oh No He Didn't 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 22, 2026
Kessler knows just how high O'Neal's standards can be for a center, so he was left in awe after hearing that kind of commendation.
Article Continues Below“That means so much coming from you, Shaq,” Kessler added.
The Lakers invested a significant amount of money and draft picks to bring Kessler in via a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz to address their well-known need for a long-term solution at the five. Kessler was coming off a season in which he played just five games for the Jazz after he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery, so acquiring him did not come without risk for the Lakers.
But it has become evident quickly how impactful Kessler can be for this team when he's at his best. He will look to keep this going when the Lakers host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday for their second game of the 2026-27 season.