Jazz's Walker Kessler Posts Rare Statline Unseen for 30 Years

The Utah Jazz center had a night to remember on Friday vs. the Toronto Raptors.

Feb 28, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler warms up before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler had a career night despite a 109-118 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

In Kessler's 33 minutes on the floor, he put up a dominating effort on both ends with a double-double worth 18 points and 25 rebounds paired alongside eight blocks. The Jazz big man also shot a strong 72.7% shooting from the field on 11 shots.

It's an insanely impressive outcome on the box score in any sense, but especially so when factoring in the historical implications of Kessler's night.

Kessler's 18 points, 25 rebounds, and eight blocks is a statline only six players in NBA history have posted in a single night. That short list includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dikembe Mutombo; all Hall of Famers, putting the Jazz big man in next to some great company.

This stat line deserves a round of applause:

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👏👏👏#PerformanceLeader presented by @uofuhealth pic.twitter.com/KrAN6iPEsn
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 8, 2025

The last time those numbers were seen in a box score came in November of 1994 when Mutombo accomplished the feat against the Los Angeles Lakers –– a game he played an absurd 53 minutes in.

The performance is yet another impressive showing through Kessler's third year in Utah. He's averaging career-highs in nearly every stat category while leading the league in field goal percentage, further cementing his place within the Jazz's future endeavors.

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