New Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler had to choose a new jersey number when he was acquired by the team this summer. As a member of the Utah Jazz, Kessler has worn the number 24 for all four of his NBA seasons, but obviously he won’t be able to wear that for the purple and gold as that number is retired for the late, great Kobe Bryant.
Kessler has chosen to go with the number 14 with his new team and he recently revealed the pretty simple reason he chose to go with that.
“I chose 14 because it was my USA number at the World Cup,” Kessler said during a ‘Get to Know’ segment on Lakers YouTube. “For me to see my name on a Lakers jersey is like a dream. It’s surreal. So I’m very grateful and very thankful to be here.”
Kessler was a member of the Team USA squad that participated in the FIBA World Cup in 2023 that also included his new Lakers teammate Austin Reaves. He wore 14 there, so picking it back up now that he is on the Lakers makes sense. Kessler did wear number 13 in college at both Auburn University and the University of North Carolina, but that number is also retired for legendary center Wilt Chamberlain.
More important than the jersey number is the numbers Kessler puts up on the court and the impact he has on this team. The Lakers believe he is the perfect center to pair with Reaves and superstar guard Luka Doncic and he will need to prove them right.
Kessler should be able to thrive as a pick-and-roll partner for Doncic and Reaves, feasting on easy buckets at the rim from the Lakers’ playmakers and potentially expanding his offensive range while also creating extra possessions as one of the best offensive rebounders in the league. But the defensive side of the ball is where he will really make an impact as a rim protector and the anchor of this Lakers’ defense.
This is the beginning of a new chapter in Kessler’s career and he will be under a microscope in L.A. unlike anything he has ever experienced.
Walker Kessler would rather have a game-winning block than bucket
Kessler also understands and embraces a defensive mindset. The new Lakers center recently spoke about this, saying that he would rather have a game-winning block, and crush the hopes of the opposition winning, as opposed to a game-winning basket.
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