Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg wasted little time making his presence felt in the NBA.
His season debut against the Los Angeles Lakers featured a heated exchange with Luka Doncic, defensive battles and plenty of trash talk.
Despite the Warriors suffering a 127-105 loss, Lendeborg drew attention for his confidence against one of the league’s most dangerous scorers.
Lendeborg’s comments after the game made it clear that the matchup was personal. The rookie did not hold back when discussing Doncic, whose complaints to officials became a source of frustration throughout the contest.
Yaxel Lendeborg Says He Lost Respect for Luka Doncic
According to Anthony Slater, Lendeborg said:
“I had a lot of respect for him [Luka Doncic] … but being in there firsthand, watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect for him.”
The rookie also revealed what he told Doncic during their on-court exchange. “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me,” Lendeborg said, per Slater.
On his interaction with Doncic: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.”
Full soundbite
The comments followed a competitive first half in which Lendeborg took on the difficult assignment of guarding Doncic. ESPN’s tracking data showed that Doncic scored just two points on 0-of-4 shooting from the field with Lendeborg as his primary defender in the halfcourt during the first half.
That defensive effort stood out because Doncic had already scored 23 points before halftime. The Slovenian star still found ways to hurt Golden State, but the rookie gave him a different challenge when matched up directly.
Lendeborg’s confidence was encouraging for the Warriors. However, taking on an elite scorer also meant learning how quickly a matchup can change in the NBA.
Luka Doncic Answers Trash Talk With Halfcourt Shot
Doncic had his own response to Lendeborg’s trash talk. He drained a halfcourt shot at the halftime buzzer.
“He was talking crazy … I knew that was going before I got it in my hands. I work on those,” Doncic said about the shot.
“He was talking crazy … I knew that was going before I got it in my hands. I work on those.”
The moment gave Doncic the last word before the break, even as Lendeborg had made life difficult for him in their direct matchups.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also addressed the rookie’s defensive assignment.
“He had three fouls that probably wouldn’t be fouls in any other league in the world. But it’s the NBA. He’s gotta learn this stuff.”
Kerr also criticized the decision to give Lendeborg a technical foul without issuing one to Doncic. “Kind of ridiculous,” Kerr said.
Kerr didn’t like the technical on Yaxel and not Luka also: “Kind of ridiculous.”
For Lendeborg, the debut offered a clear lesson. His defensive flashes and confidence were promising, but Doncic showed why experience and shot-making can still decide a matchup.
Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg Takes Brutal Shot at Luka Doncic After Game