Walker Kessler tallied 10 dunks during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
These 10 dunks were the most a Lakers player has produced in a game since Shaquille O’Neal back in 2003.
Kessler’s overall performance (he scored 26 points on perfect 12-for-12 shooting from the field) against the Warriors earned high praise from Shaq after the game.
“For so long, the Lakers’ big men have been historical and dominant. Walker Kessler is the best big man in the NBA. You heard it here first,” O’Neal said from the ESPN studio.
The NBA on ESPN’s Instagram account posted a clip of Shaq’s comment on Wednesday night. Kessler’s fiancée, former Miss America winner Abbie Stockard, reposted it to her own Instagram story on Thursday morning.
It might be premature for Shaq to call Kessler the league’s best big man, given he has only played one game in the purple and gold.
Then again, Shaq knows dominance down low better than just about anyone else, and his sentiment about Kessler bodes well for the Lakers’ upcoming campaign.
Stockard recently finished nursing school in Alabama, and it’s unclear whether she’s with Kessler in Los Aneles right now as he embarks on his debut season with the Lakers.
Regardless, whatever Kessler and Stockard have going on at home is translating to success on the basketball court.
