The Golden State Warriors crowd’s attempt to poke Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic backfired instantly.
During their NBA Cup matchup at Chase Center on Friday, Warriors fans broke out into a chant of “Luka Sucks” to back up their rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Instead of rattling the Lakers superstar, the hostile crowd gave him immediate fuel.
“LUKA SUCKS, LUKA SUCKS”
Luka Doncic outscored the entire Warriors team by himself 21-15 in the first quarter
Doncic exploded for 21 points in the 1st quarter alone while the entire Golden State roster sat at just 15 points.
The Lakers built an immediate 38–15 lead by the end of the first quarter, rendering the home crowd silent.
Why Are The Warriors Fans Chanting ‘Luka Sucks’
The chants were rooted in Lendeborg’s NBA debut on October 21.
Selected 11th overall out of the University of Michigan, the 24-year-old Lendeborg was given the daunting task of guarding Doncic on opening night. The 6-foot-10 rookie relentlessly trash-talked the veteran, prompting a viral on-court exchange where Doncic fired back, “Hey bro, you’re 24 and a rookie. Relax.”
Doncic and the Lakers secured a dominant 127-105 victory but Lendeborg had defensive success by limiting Doncic to 1-of-6 shooting as his primary defender.
The drama spilled over postgame when Lendeborg candidly told the media he “lost all respect” for Doncic due to his constant whining and complaining to the referees, while Doncic shrugged it off by stating he simply steps up his game when opponents run their mouths.
Now, the Chase Center crowd tried to revive the trash talk on their home floor.
What Yaxel Lendeborg Learned From Luka Doncic
His first few games already gave Yaxel some valuable experience with the NBA’s biggest superstars. He said he learned a lot in his first stretch in the big league, especially about opposing teams’ superstars.
“This game for sure gave me a lot of confidence in being able to guard superstars. I’m gonna learn a lot more about the foul baiting as soon as possible,” Yaxel said after the Warriors-Lakers season opener.
“I kind of learned more into this game as well, but it’s like, I was very like, worried coming into the game, thinking he was going to just get all his points on me. But it was eye-opening for me. I think I did a great job defending. So, I definitely look forward to getting more matchups. Hopefully not as foul-baiting as this guy, but we’ll see how it goes.”
This comes after he blasted Doncic for his antics.
“You get the foul call. Congratulations, bro,” Lendeborg said. “Then you talk to me like you did something great. C’mon, dog. That s— is weak. It kind of threw me off because I have so much respect for him. Gone, man. Gone.”
“I was telling him he sucks. He can’t score on me. You talk but you can’t score on me. I said it the whole game. I said a couple cuss words, obviously. That’s why I got the technical. But I was letting him know.”
Lendeborg averages 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game through his first 5 games of the season.
Expect more from Luka and Yaxel as the season goes by and their rivalry heats up.
Warriors ‘Luka Sucks’ Chants Backfired Massively Vs Lakers