Lakers Walker Kessler ready to play with so much joy after lost season

Walker Kessler had multiple ways to view an unfortunate situation.After suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury last October, the then 24-year-old center for the Utah Jazz could’ve felt robbed.He could’ve felt angry.

He could’ve felt worried about his future.Instead, he chose to tell himself a different story.“It was tough, but I think it’s always important to remember things happen for a reason,” Kessler said at Lakers practice Sunday. “And I think that with the absence of basketball, my longing to play basketball grew even more to where I’m gonna be playing with so much joy that I’ve played with in a long time because I’ve never sat out for a whole season.”Things have worked out for Kessler.The Lakers acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal with Utah in July, sending two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz and signing Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.So, he went from playing for a team that missed the playoffs the last four seasons and is trying to rebuild to a team that views anything short of a championship as a failure.The Lakers really believe in Walker.

They mortgaged their future for him.They don’t have any tradeable first-round draft picks over the next seven years.“He’s a guy that I’ve followed since his rookie year,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Sunday.

“We played against him my rookie year coaching and [he’s] somebody that I had identified a long time ago [as] somebody that I loved to have in a Laker uniform at some point.”Kessler now has the opportunity of a lifetime.He’s playing for one of the league’s premier franchises.He’s sharing the court with Luka Dončić, one of the top-four players in the NBA.

He has said multiple times that he’s ready to run through a wall for the purple and gold.The Lakers have yet to see Kessler in uniform, though.He jammed his finger against the backboard during training camp and has been sidelined for all three of the...