Walker Kessler had a near-perfect regular-season debut for the Los Angeles Lakers. They were dominant against the Golden State Warriors, winning 127 to 105. Of course, Luka Doncic was the star of the show, but Kessler was not too far behind.
Kessler posted an impressive stat line of 26 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. At the same time, he did not miss from the field, as he made all 12 of his field-goal attempts in his 30 minutes of play.
Walker Kessler gets unique praise from Shaquille O’Neal
Throughout the franchise’s history, the Lakers have had plenty of talented big men. That includes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anthony Davis, and Shaquille O’Neal.
The latter has been quite the popular figure in the NBA and the NBA media after he retired from the sport. Now, Shaq has been quite critical of big men during his media career, but it seems that he is a big fan of Kessler.
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He made sure to praise Kessler after the impressive performance in the game against the Warriors. Not missing from the field is a big deal, and it was good enough for Shaq to be a bit hyperbolic with his statements.
“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 guys to love the name Snowtime,” O’Neal said to Kessler in a post-game interview on Inside the NBA.
With that kind of praise, Kessler has set a high bar for himself. Of course he won’t be perfect from the field in every game, but it has set the tone for what he can do in a Lakers uniform moving forward.
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