Jaxson Hayes is the newest center for the Los Angeles Lakers, joining the team after leaving the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency. Hayes spent four years with the Pelicans after being selected No. 8 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Pelicans acquired the No. 8 and No. 10 pick using the No. 4 pick they received from the Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade.
Now, that pick teams up with Davis — potentially in the starting lineup — to help bring the Lakers their 18th championship in franchise history. But first, Lakers fans must get introduced to Hayes and the kind of player he is and can be in L.A.
Hayes showed the type of player he can be with an extremely early flash against one of the NBA’s best players — Stephen Curry — in his very first game as a pro, he recounted via the Lakers:
“My favorite NBA memory would probably be my first ever stat or anything in my first game. We were playing the Warriors, I checked in the game and five seconds later I blocked Steph Curry and that was probably my favorite NBA memory.”
Despite the smaller stature, Curry may be one of the hardest players to block in the league. His high arc jumper, elite quickness and touch around the rim make him difficult for opposing centers to keep track of.
It would certainly feel like an accomplishment for any player to block Curry, who has firmly cemented himself as one of the best players in league history. But to do so in his first NBA action makes it all the more impressive.
Hayes should have plenty more chance to block Curry as he is now a member of the pacific division. The Lakers will see the Warriors four times this season, on Jan. 27 and Feb. 22, 2024 in San Francisco and on March 16 and April 9, 2024 in L.A.
Lakers schedule released
The 82-game schedules for each NBA team were released on Thursday and, as is the standard, the Lakers find themselves with 40 nationally televised matchups for the season. They open the season with a Western Conference Finals rematch against the Denver Nuggets and play the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz in the group stage of the first ever In-Season Tournament.
Some other marquee home games include Christmas Day against the Boston Celtics, Oct. 26 against the Suns for the home opener and Martin Luther King Jr. Day against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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