Walker Kessler shared the court with Luka Doncic for the first time since he joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kessler was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal from the Utah Jazz this summer, after missing majority of last season due to shoulder surgery.
Kessler and the Lakers played against the Denver Nuggets tonight, losing 121-106 to their Western Conference rivals.
Kessler played for 30 minutes in a matchup with Nikola Jokic, scoring 6 points and catching 6 rebounds.
Why is Doncic better than Jokic in Kessler's eyes?
25-year old center showed some praise for Jokic, but was forced to say that Doncic is better.
"There’s a reason why he is who he is. He’s arguably the best big in the league and best player in the league. I would argue Luka is better for obvious reasons, but he’s an exceptional player,” he mentioned during his postgame press conference.
"Oh yeah, there has been a lot of rust, I've got a whole pile of it, but it's all good now, I'm excited to play."
Kessler noted Doncic's fierce competitiveness as his biggest strength:
"He’s a competitor,” Kessler previously described his teammate.
“He wants to win more than anything. He also talks a lot of trash, but it just goes to show how much he cares and how much he wants to win," Kessler concluded.