Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg caused a stir with his comments towards Luka Doncic on and off the court.
Many NBA players have learned the hard way, ‘don’t make Luka Doncic angry’. Yaxel Lendeborg was taught the lesson on his first ever game in the league.
The ultra-confident Golden State Warriors rookie started talking trash to Doncic during their opener against the LA Lakers, and saw the Slovenian drop 28 points against his team.
After the game, his teammate Draymond Green encouraged Lendeborg’s vocal nature, and says he won’t back down in future games against Doncic either. Has anything been learned here?
Lendeborg’s comments after the game attacked Doncic further, when he told a press conference: “Being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man. Like that was awful.”
Former NBA star Eddie Johnson was unimpressed, and suggested that Draymond Green may have been offering the youngster some bad advice. Green is renowned as one of the league’s most outspoken players.
Johnson posed on X: “Did Draymond take this kid in a room and pulled a Phil Jackson with some incense and hallucinatory babble. Rookie breaking down Luka like he been around for years!
“Be quiet and be a rookie and learn. This rant after one game is unreal!”
Are the Lakers going over/under 46.5 wins, and why?
Tell us your honest expectations for the season 👇
How Yaxel Lendeborg played
Yaxel Lendeborg had a solid start, scoring 12 points. He shot 5-12 from the field. He added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
His clash with Doncic meant that his NBA debut will always be a memorable one, and it puts a circle on the calendar for future Warriors-Lakers matchups.
The biggest message Lendeborg sent was his sheer refusal to back down. The Warriors are going to need this fighting spirit for the season ahead, because the upcoming year could become a slog.
Steph Curry lamented their weakness at center with his postgame comments, with Kristaps Porzingis ruled out for the foreseeable future.
The Lakers won this game 127-105 with plenty of effort to spare, and the Warriors need a drastic improvement for their next home game against the Grizzlies.
Receive exclusive NBA news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
Add to Preferred Sources 