Walker Kessler equals Wilt Chamberlain in historic Lakers 56-year feat vs. Warriors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Panacea acquisitions are rare in the NBA. Teams sign many players to fill specific gaps, but they have their own weaknesses that eventually get exposed. Walker Kessler seems like a rare panacea signing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He helped Luka Doncic and JJ Redick get an opening night 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors. More than that, he was also the best big man on the floor. It was proven when he matched an insane record by Wilt Chamberlain.
Kessler gets historic NBA feat achieved by Chamberlain in Lakers vs. Warriors
The Lakers had a lot of holes to fix during the NBA offseason. Coach JJ Redick had to build schemes around Luka Doncic without LeBron James on the roster. They also lost big men like Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton. So the natural solution was to find someone who could fill all those holes at once.
This is where Walker Kessler comes in. On paper, he is the perfect player to slot alongside Doncic and complement Coach Redick's schemes. When the Lakers faced the Warriors, it was time to put those skills and ideas into practice.
Kessler delivered. Coach Redick gave him 30 minutes to anchor the Lakers' defense and serve as the perfect big man to help Doncic.
How great was his Lakers debut? Kessler finished with 26 points on 100% from the field. He also got an assist. Defensively, Coach Redick saw him grab nine rebounds while snagging two blocks.
Kessler's 100% from the field wasn't just a great Lakers debut; it also matched a record only Wilt Chamberlain came close to. The new Lakers big man went 12-for-12 from the field. Only Chamberlain finished with more in his 14-for-14 game on March 11, 1969, against the Detroit Pistons, via ESPN Insights.
Walker Kessler Lakers Debut. 26 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK, 12/12 FG, 95 TS% League really let Luka get a center 😭 https://t.co/fIdC082M2h
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 22, 2026
Coach Redick had expectations about Kessler and how he fits in with the Lakers too, via Dan Woike of The Athletic.
“I think he wants to embrace that. I think that’s why he wanted to be a Laker. And why he wanted to be here was because of the fact that there are stakes every single night when you wear a Lakers uniform. We’ve had a number of conversations. We had a long conversation the other day about it. I think the awareness is there; how you navigate that early on and how you navigate that in your first year, there’s no way to predict that because you’ve never dealt with it before.
By the end, Coach Redick and the Lakers seem to have found the perfect running mate for Doncic. The Lakers superstar also scored 28 points of his own, and it all got easier with Kessler manning the paint. All of this helped the Lakers get their first win of the season. They trampled the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, by a 22-point margin.
Panacea acquisitions are rare. The Lakers faithful should be thankful they got one with Chamberlain-level acumen.