Making his Los Angeles Lakers debut Wednesday night, Walker Kessler put on absolute show inside Crypto.com Arena for his new team and fanbase with 26 points on 12-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 30 minutes. His sparkling effort helped Los Angeles rout the Golden State Warriors, 127-105, to kick off their season with a win.
Kessler’s perfect shooting night placed him alongside a couple of historic Lakers big men. His 12-of-12 outing was the second-best shooting performance
in franchise history behind a 14-of-14 game from Wilt Chamberlain…
…while his staggering 10 dunks joined the company of Shaquille O’Neal:
Despite the excellent debut, Kessler admitted to some pre-game jitters but thoroughly enjoyed his first regular-season appearance in a Lakers uniform and was glad to emerge victorious.
““Yeah, I would say it [lived up to expectations]. It was awesome,” he told reporters postgame. “Got the win, which was the most important thing. I definitely was a little nervous going to the game, but just so thankful and so grateful for how it went.”
Among Kessler’s 12 made field goals, five came courtesy of Luka Dončić, who’s been involved in the NBA’s last two double-digit dunk games, a testament to his wondrous playmaking aptitude.
With Dončić and Kessler on the floor together, the Lakers scored 56 points in 18 minutes, good for a hilariously stellar 151.4 offensive rating (small-sample theater is fun!), according to NBA.com.
“Very impressive game for him. I think he was 12-12, which is very impressive,” Dončić said. “But just the way he saw, when I was driving, he stepped up. When I was doubled, he played in the pocket. So a very impressive game for him.”
Head coach JJ Redick has previously talked about the expectations any notable Lakers big man may experience, especially ahead of their franchise debut. He’s made clear the support system around Kessler to guide him through any worries and was pleased with his center’s first performance of 2026-27.
“Whether he had played for the last year and a half or not, I think it’s a big deal when it’s your first game as a Laker,” Redick said. “We’ve had conversations. He understands what this is and the pressures that come with it. I think it was a good opening statement for him.”
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
