The Lakers have been a center's team since George Mikan anchored the Minneapolis titles, and against the Clippers Walker Kessler blocked six shots in a 125-117 win. At 2-0 and holding the first seed in the West, Los Angeles now heads to Utah with a new anchor and old habits to prove.
Mikan's Long Shadow
The franchise began in 1946 as the Detroit Gems, then moved to Minneapolis, where Mikan carried it to the 1948 NBL title, the 1949 BAA title and four NBA championships in five seasons through 1954. The chair never stayed empty for long. Wilt Chamberlain arrived by trade in 1968, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar followed, and Shaquille O'Neal signed in 1996. This week O'Neal called Kessler the best big man in the league after the Lakers debut, according to Lakers Nation. Kessler answered the praise with 22 points on 10-14 shooting, three steals and a 35-minute plus-18.
October 24, Revisited
The Lakers have played on this calendar date many times, and the results make a tidy ledger. They won 114-94 on the road in 1972, the season after the 33-game streak. They lost 107-118 in 1962, in the Baylor and West years, long before the Forum existed. Last year they beat Minnesota 128-110. Tomorrow's opponent is a different kind of test. Utah went 22-60 last season with a 120.8 defensive rating, yet it is 1-1 now, with Will Hardy coaching and Lauri Markkanen, who averaged 26.7 points last season, leading the roster. Jusuf Nurkic, the Jazz center, is out with a foot injury.
The Luka Question
Every era in this history had a lead star and a verdict attached. This one belongs to Luka Doncic, who came in the February 2025 trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. He scored 23 against the Clippers on 8-21 shooting and committed 11 turnovers, and Lakers Nation says he told reporters the team must still improve. Austin Reaves supplied the polish: 28 points on 10-13 from the field. The payroll sits at $201.3M, just over the $200.4M tax line, so the margin for error is thin. A road win in Utah would extend a start that the history books suggest this club knows how to build on.
Who do the Lakers play next?
They visit the Utah Jazz on 2026-10-25. The Lakers are 2-0 and the Jazz are 1-1.
How did Walker Kessler play against the Clippers?
He scored 22 points with 8 rebounds and 6 blocks on 10-14 shooting in the 125-117 win. He finished plus-18 in 35 minutes.
