Walker Kessler wasted no time making a statement in his regular-season debut for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Shaquille O’Neal was ready with the kind of praise that turns heads.
In a 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers looked sharp across the board. Luka Doncic was the main attraction, but Kessler carved out plenty of attention of his own with a ruthless efficient night: 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes. Even more eye-catching, he went a perfect 12-for-12 from the field.
That kind of clean shooting drew a strong reaction from O’Neal, who has spent plenty of his post-playing career evaluating big men and isn’t shy about calling them out when he thinks they deserve it. This time, he was all in on Kessler.
"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.
The Lakers have had no shortage of legendary big men over the years, from Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Anthony Davis and O’Neal himself. Kessler’s debut didn’t put him in that class, but it did give him a loud endorsement from one of the most recognizable voices in the sport.
Now he’s got a standard to chase. Nights like this won’t happen every time, especially not with a flawless shooting line, but Kessler’s first impression in purple and gold was about as strong as it gets.
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