Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said Wednesday that he lost all respect for Luka Dončić after guarding the Lakers star in his NBA debut, a 127-105 Golden State loss at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 21. Lendeborg said that “being in there first hand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man.”
Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, spent much of the night on Dončić. He described the NBA as “a lot of flopping, a lot of foul baiting, a lot of crying to the refs.” Asked what he said to Dončić, he answered: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.”
The back-and-forth peaked late in the second quarter. Lendeborg drew a technical foul before halftime, and at the buzzer Dončić drained a 48-foot half-court heave off the backboard right in Lendeborg’s face to push the Lakers’ lead to 14 points. Afterward, Dončić said: “Everybody knows when somebody starts talking, you get a different me.”
Draymond Green backed the rookie after the game and told him to keep talking regardless of the opponent.
Dončić finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on 7-of-18 shooting. Lendeborg had 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting (1-of-4 from three, 1-of-3 at the line), three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 29 minutes, the most of any Warrior.
He also had four personal fouls, three of which sent Dončić to the line. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points.
Lendeborg’s Fouls Gave Back What His Defense Took Away
Lendeborg’s defense on Dončić’s shots held up: the Lakers star made only seven of 18 attempts. He still scored 28, though, and three of Lendeborg’s four fouls put him at the free-throw line. Add a technical, and the rookie handed out the same kind of whistles he complained about afterward.
He doesn’t have much room to learn this slowly, either. Golden State opened without Jimmy Butler (knee) and Moses Moody (knee), as well as Brandin Podziemski (back) and Kristaps Porziņģis, so for now a 24-year-old rookie is drawing the hardest assignment in the West.
The trash talk will only hold up if he can contest Dončić without fouling. On Wednesday, he couldn’t.
The Lakers Visit Chase Center on Oct. 30
Golden State hosts Memphis on Oct. 23 for its home opener. The game that matters for this matchup is the rematch on Oct. 30, when the Lakers visit Chase Center. Lendeborg has now called Dončić out by name, so that night will show whether he can stay on him without the foul trouble that hurt him in Los Angeles.
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