Golden State rookie Yaxel Lendeborg isn’t interested in sanding down his edges.
As the Warriors get ready to open NBA Cup play Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, the 24-year-old made it clear he has no plans to take media training and start giving polished answers. He wants to keep speaking the way he always has, even if that means rubbing some people the wrong way.
Speaking with Luca Evans of The San Francisco Chronicle, Lendeborg said honesty matters more to him than rehearsed responses.
“I'm not doing that, man. I'm going to stay true to myself, and be honest,” Lendeborg said.
“I've seen plenty of interviews where people are talking and it's like, ‘Man, I don't want to watch this,' you know what I mean? And it's not like I'm click-baiting or click-farming or whatever the heck people are saying.
But it's like, that's honestly how I feel. And I'm not gonna lie about it.
I've never been a liar. So, just tell the truth.”
That stance fits the version of Lendeborg the NBA has already seen this season. He grabbed attention after Golden State’s season-opening loss to the Lakers with pointed criticism of Luka Doncic. The rookie questioned Doncic’s behavior toward officials, then added another eyebrow-raising line when he said the Lakers star was not Michael Jordan.
Lendeborg later admitted that his first take may have crossed a line, but his latest comments show he’s not interested in changing his personality to make things safer or quieter.
On the court, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has given Golden State a real boost early on. He has quickly emerged as one of the team’s most promising young players, offering the Warriors some encouraging signs during their rough 2026-27 start.
Now he gets another shot at Doncic, with Friday’s game giving him and the Lakers another meeting after their public back-and-forth earlier in the season.
Golden State enters at 2-3, while Los Angeles is 4-1. The game tips at 7 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
In Other News...
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Now those worries look even harder to dismiss after Simmons suffered a torn Achilles in a workout and was ruled out for the season. For the Warriors, it is one more reminder that any evaluation of Simmons has to start with the same issue that has followed him for months: whether he can stay on the floor long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]