The Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had an eventful start to his NBA career, facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers’ feisty superstar Luka Doncic.
During the Lakers’ 127-105 opening-night blowout win against the Warriors, 24-year-old rookie Lendeborg engaged in trash talk with Doncic, later claiming he “lost all respect” for Doncic due to his style of play and complaining to referees.
The Lakers star responded on the court with a dominant performance, finishing with 28 points, a viral 49-foot half-court shot, and a message telling the late-blooming rookie to relax given his age and lack of NBA experience.
At age 24, Doncic was already a multi-time All-Star, All-First Team selection, and deep into his NBA career, whereas Lendeborg entered the league at 24 years old out of college.
Lendeborg responded to Doncic’s trash talk about his age and inexperience, saying that he has always believed in himself.
“I’m always going to be myself, man. I don’t care what anybody has to say about it,” he told reporters via Joseph Dycus.
“The guys are over there on the couch talking bad about me like, come on, bro, I could care less what you got to say. What else do they say? The 24-year-old rookie thing? I’m 24, in the NBA, with the best job in the world, just moved my mom out to California. Like, I’m living the dream.”
“I’m always gonna be myself, man. I don’t care what anybody has to say about it. The guys are over there on the couch talking bad about me like, come on, bro, I
Lendeborg added that he does not care about people’s perceptions of him as long as he is doing his job on the court.
“I could care less, you know what I mean? So I’m always gonna be myself,” he said. “That’s the way I was taught, the way I was raised. I mean, you know, I’m happy with life no matter what goes on.”
Why Yaxel Lendeborg Enters The NBA As An Old Rookie
Lendeborg entered the NBA as an older rookie due to a late start in competitive basketball, academic hurdles in high school, and a multi-step collegiate development path.
He did not get serious about or start playing organized basketball until he was around 18 years old. Poor grades kept him off his high school basketball team at Pennsauken High School, requiring him and his mother to work on catching up academically
He began his college career at the junior college level with Arizona Western College in 2020 rather than a Division I program.
He transferred to UAB, entered consideration for the 2025 NBA draft, but chose to withdraw and bet on himself by transferring to the University of Michigan under head coach Dusty May.
That extra college season culminated in an NCAA national championship and Big Ten Player of the Year honors with Michigan, boosting his stock into the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, where he was selected 11th overall by the Warriors.
Yaxel Lendeborg Reveals Lesson From Luka Doncic
Despite totally losing respect for Luka Doncic, Yaxel Lendeborg still had some lessons learned from guarding one of the best players in the world.
“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,” he said after the game.
Lendeborg will certainly see more marquee matchups in his NBA career, and Luka is just the first of his fiercest opponents.
Warriors Yaxel Lendeborg Makes Mature Statement After Lakers Star Labeled Him ‘Old Rookie’