This article was written by Gus Wilson and published on Sport & State, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation.* * * * *
Yaxel Lendeborg needed exactly one NBA game to lose all respect for Luka Doncic.
The Golden State Warriors rookie forward got his first taste of regular-season action Wednesday night in a 127-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and came away unimpressed with the professional game thanks to one of the league’s biggest stars.
“It was interesting,” Lendeborg said. “I got to see what the NBA is like, man. A lot of flopping, a lot of foul baiting, a lot of praying to the ref. Interesting first game for me, for sure.”
A lot of that frustration was directed toward Doncic.
Yaxel Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic after facing him tonight because he said Doncic was “complaining the entire game.”
On his interaction with Doncic: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.”
Full soundbite https://t.co/1NPctFQ3Vp
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
“I had a lot of respect for him [Doncic]. You know, just watching [him]. But then being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man,” Lendeborg said. “That was awful.”
“Like me getting frustrated, it’s not about the foul being called, it’s about him complaining the entire game… It kinda threw me off for a little while, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone man, gone.”
The two spent much of the first half jawing at one another.
Lendeborg received a technical foul during one heated exchange with Doncic in the second quarter.
Rookie Yax goin’ at Luka 🍿
Yaxel Lendeborg and Luka Doncic got into it during Warriors-Lakers 👀 https://t.co/DRQb9kTVqI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 22, 2026
Doncic eventually got the last laugh before halftime, drilling a half-court buzzer-beater with Lendeborg defending him.
Luka Doncic to Yaxel Lendeborg:
“Get back in here p*ssy. I WANT MORE”
Steve Kerr goes full Karen mode and scolds Luka: “Don’t call him the P word”
Luka drains a half-court shot in his face and stares him down.
The level of disrespect is crazy lol I love it. https://t.co/0WObopTe16
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) October 22, 2026
After the game, Doncic said Lendeborg was “talking crazy” and admitted that trash talk tends to bring out a different version of him.
Luka on Yaxel and the halfcourt shot:
“He was talking crazy. I knew that was going before I got it in my hands. I work on those” 😂 https://t.co/qvQyliGJxN
— Oh No He Didn’t 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 22, 2026
Luka Doncic on his interaction with Yaxel:
“Everybody knows when somebody starts talking, you got a different me. So that was it” https://t.co/f8LkAWZ3Av
— Oh No He Didn’t 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 22, 2026
Obviously, the Warriors’ veterans were going to have their rookie’s back.
Especially Draymond Green.
“Everyone’s going to be like ‘Oh, he shouldn’t talk to Luka, he should not talk to Luka,’ and I disagree with that sh*t one thousand percent,” Green said. “You f*cking go talk to somebody; you talk until you can’t f*cking talk no more.”
Draymond Green on Yaxel Lendeborg going at Luka Doncic: “Everyone will say the rookie learned his lesson. What he learn? The next time he see him, go at his ass again.”
Full soundbite https://t.co/jb87fMCjJW
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
Luckily for Lendeborg, he won’t have to wait long for another shot.
The Warriors host Doncic and the Lakers again on Oct. 30, this time in NBA Cup group play. Something tells me the two will have plenty more to say.
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