Shaquille O’Neal Has High Praise For Walker Kessler After Lakers Debut: “Best Big Man in The NBA”

Shaquille O'Neal had a bold take after Walker Kessler's impressive performance on his Lakers debut.

Shaquille O’Neal Has High Praise For Walker Kessler After Lakers Debut: “Best Big Man in The NBA”

Shaquille O'Neal and Walker Kessler (Image credits - Fortune and theScore)

Walker Kessler has gotten off to a dream start for the Los Angeles Lakers. There was a lot of talk about the center after he signed with the Lakers, as he missed most of the 2025-26 campaign with a shoulder injury.

The Lakers got their 2026-27 campaign off to a win as they registered a convincing 127-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Wednesday night. Kessler played a key role on both ends of the court as he ended his night with 26 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks.

The Lakers have been blessed with some of the greatest big men in NBA history. From Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol, and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have dominated every time they had a reliable anchor down low.

After the game, O’Neal heaped praise on the Lakers’ new center, calling him the “best big man in the NBA.”

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 and I’m not playing.

Shaquille O’Neal on Inside The NBA

Shaquille O’Neal knows what it takes to be the best big man in the league. However, it was a wild take from the five-time champion who is known for being critical of modern-day big men.

Kessler was a dominant force in the paint against the small Warriors. He joined the purple and gold on a 4-year, $130 million contract in the summer. While it’s too early to draw sweeping conclusions, O’Neal didn’t seem to care and has already anointed the 25-year-old as the Lakers’ new great big man.

Skip Bayless responds to Shaquille O’Neal’s high praise for Walker Kessler

It was a memorable Lakers debut for Walker Kessler. 10 of his 12 buckets were dunks as the Warriors had no answers for the former first-round pick. His perfect shooting night was also the first of its kind (with at least 12 shots) since Wilt Chamberlain in 1969.

After O’Neal called Kessler the best big man in the league, sports columnist Skip Bayless took to social media to respond to it and took shots at Victor Wembanyama.

Shaq just said Walker Kessler is the best man in the NBA. Because he went 12-12 in his opener after Wemby went 1-13? I will agree that Wemby doesn’t play center on offense.

Skip Bayless on X

Wembanyama had a disastrous season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night. He went 1-for-13 from the field and struggled to generate anything offensively.

Bayless has criticized Wembanyama in the past for taking too many three-pointers and not asserting his dominance in the paint. So he took the chance to take a subtle jab at the French star again.

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Shaquille O’Neal welcomed Walker Kessler to the big man alliance

O’Neal is well known for his wild takes and comments. It was an ideal night for Kessler on his Lakers debut. He may be the second-highest scorer for the Lakers after Luka Doncic, but the way he did it caught everyone’s eye.

Walker Kessler
Walker Kessler (Image credits – ClutchPoints)

He was perfect from the field as he made all 12 of his field goal attempts. With the roster built around Doncic, the Lakers made sure to acquire a rim-running big man who could also block shots, and Kessler’s opening-night performance showed he is best suited for the role.

Following the Lakers’ win, O’Neal gave Kessler his flowers on Inside the NBA.

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 to guys to love the name Snowtime (Lakers).

Shaquille O’Neal to Walker Kessler

Kessler was left in awe of O’Neal’s comments and thanked the Hall of Famer. His season-opening performance would have answered a lot of critics who were critical of his move in the offseason. The Lakers will be looking to build on their dominant victory when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

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