Who is Kylor Kelley? Meet the 7-foot-4 giant who led the G-League in blocks before signing with the Lakers

From being left out of the 2020 NBA roster to joining the LA Lakers in 2024, this 26-year-old, 7-foot tall man has lived up to the maxim of “Onward and Upward.” We’re talking about Kyle Kelley, the Lakers’ newly signed power forward center who was a force to be reckoned with on the NBA G League All Defensive Team this year. We know how much the Lakers love their center pieces, and it seems his tactical approach from the front caught the eye of roster drafters, and before you know it, he’s on! But is it what we think – no compromises, no more undrafting – a free pass to the team? Well, as of now, he’s been added to the training camp roster along with 21 others, but if you know even a little bit about Kelley, you know he’s mastered the art of sticking around until the end.

They say sports are in the genes! If you’re someone like Kelley, you won’t want to argue with that. He was introduced to the tactics of dribbling, darting and shooting at the prime of his life, just six years old, by his mother, a former high school player whom he grew up watching run the ball down the court. Kelley’s father, Jeff, played college basketball for Boise State. His mother, Shandel Howell, had planned to play the same sport for Utah State before the university eliminated the women’s introductory program. But she ignited the fire in her enthusiastic son by becoming not only his first coach, but also his first guide and mentor.

At age seven, after his parents split up, Kelley moved with his mother and brother from Utah to Oregon. It was here that Kelley’s passion for sport was sparked, moving from the basketball hoop in the backyard of his Utah home to the basketball court at Gervais High School in Oregon. During this time, Kelley’s confidence grew, as did his height, from 6’1″ to an impressive 7’4″.

Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation said: “Kelley played for the Maine Celtics last year and averaged a whopping 2.9 blocks per game and 6 rebounds. He’s a true 7’4 player, but weighs just 215 pounds. He doesn’t necessarily have the big physical presence in the game that the Lakers were looking for this summer. That said, Kelley can block pretty well at the top position and is definitely a wall in the basket with unparalleled ferocity.”

Here is the Lakers’ post:

Now that we’ve learned what all the fuss is about, let’s delve deeper into the life of our 7’4″ star player and uncover the secret of what made him stand out on the hard court, both literally and figuratively!

From the ups and downs to the rise to the NBA – what a rollercoaster ride it has been!

Gervais had discovered a newfound talent! The 7-foot-4 Utah prospect did not disappoint, averaging 15.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 7.8 blocks and 2.4 assists per game and earning PacWest Player of the Year honors. He went on a record-setting run, setting the school’s career, season and game records for blocks. He definitely had potential and the promise to deliver. Although Kelley did not make the four-year college team due to no NCAA Division I offers coming out of high school, he decided to forget the disappointment and start over by playing college basketball for Northwest Christian University. The decision worked wonders. As a freshman, Kelley averaged 8.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game and stormed ahead to set a school single-game record with 10 blocks against Southern Oregon. Undoubtedly an impressive performance, but after 10 games he was released by Bushnell.

So you see, the basketball player has had quite a rollercoaster ride. But every time he got knocked down, he managed to get back in the saddle and keep the reins firmly in his hand. Kelley continued his winning streak at Oregon State because he wanted to stay close to home and became the state’s all-time leading blocker in a historic win over Stanford in 2020, recording 10 points, seven blocks and six rebounds. Kelley finished his final season averaging 11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.45 blocks per game and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year.

Kelley was released by the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics before trying his luck with the Maine Celtics and coming on board. But it was his arrival with the Lakers that put him in the spotlight. The Lakers are relying on this athletic blocking machine who knows how to carefully grab rebounds at the basket. The Lakers have not yet announced what type of contract Kelly or Olivari have signed, but Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports that both are Exhibit 10 contracts.

By recognizing Kelley’s potential, the Lakers have shown that there is something going on inside them and they are not sitting idly by. They are aware that they have a big task ahead of them in the upcoming season. All hopes now rest on the promising player who will give the Lakers the agility and finesse of the central player they have been looking for all this time. Let us know your thoughts on Kelley and whether his talent fits perfectly into the team and is the missing piece of the puzzle that the Lakers currently need.