Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA's new sex symbol is Walker Kessler

By Sean Keane | Last updated Nov 26, 2022 11:55 PM ET

The Phoenix crowd was rooting on the Suns as usual. Until Walker Kessler took off his shirt.

The Jazz's rookie center got scratched on his arms and back during the game. As per the NBA's blood rule, Kessler had to change out of his jersey. And the crowd went wild.

Walker Kessler had blood on his jersey, had to change, when he took it off many in the crowd whistled and clapped, and Kelly Olynyk encouraged it with his own applause lol
— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) November 27, 2022

Kessler, the No. 22 pick in this summer's draft, is a seven-foot-one, 245-pound center/heartbreaker out of Auburn University. He came to Utah in the Rudy Gobert trade, and he's been an incredible shot-blocker off the bench, averaging 1.6 rejections in 15 minutes per game. Kessler has also been a strong rebounder, pulling down 5.1 rebounds, roughly one every three minutes he's on the court.

But the Phoenix fans only cared about Kessler's hot body.

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Just look at those guns!

Kessler follows a long line of devastatingly handsome Utah seven-footers, a group that includes Mark Eaton, Greg Ostertag, Greg Foster, and Mehmet Okur. Unfortunately, Jazz coach Will Hardy apparently feared Kessler's rippling muscles would distract his teammates in crunch time, so when the Jazz forced a Devin Booker miss with seconds remining, they couldn't get a rebound and lost by one point.

Deandre Ayton had a monster game, scoring 29 points and collecting 21 rebounds. But he kept his shirt on all night, so the Phoenix fans will be heading home thinking of a different big man: Walker Kessler.

Walker Kessler took his shirt off and ladies starting screaming and cheering yes ladies objectify that man !!!!!
— HoHoHo (@trinimini05) November 27, 2022

Amen, HoHoHo.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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