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With just under six minutes remaining on Wednesday night, Walker Kessler walked toward the Lakers bench, his jersey drenched in sweat, his left knee bloodied and bruised, his work finished.

At that moment more than 18,000 fans inside Crypto.com Arena rose to their collective feet to give the new Lakers big man a standing ovation for his spectacular debut in the purple and gold.

Kessler turned the paint into his personal playground in the Lakers season opener , throwing down 10 dunks, scoring 26 points on a perfect 12-for-12 shooting performance in the Lakers dominant 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Not bad for a first impression.

Walker Kessler slams home a dunk during the first half of the Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Warriors on Oct. 21,

2026 in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J.…