Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg isn’t backing off after stirring up plenty of noise in his NBA debut, and he made that clear again Friday.
Lendeborg, who drew attention for his back-and-forth with Luka Doncic during Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, brushed aside the criticism that followed his postgame comments. He had said he told Doncic he “sucks” and said he had lost respect for the Lakers star because of what he sees as constant complaining and whining.
After Friday’s 111-108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Lendeborg was asked about the reaction and offered no signs of backing down.
“[People have been saying] I’m not supposed to talk to him or something like that,” Lendeborg said, via NBC Sports Bay Area & California. “Like what the heck?
I ain’t never been no h**. Come on now.
He gonna say what he want to say. I’mma say what I want to say, you know?
It’s like I’m not afraid to talk to nobody, man. He’s not Michael Jordan.
Like, come on now.
“So I mean it’s fun trash talk,” Lendeborg added. “I feel like I did kind of take it overboard in the media, but I mean, it is what it is.”
That Jordan comparison was the point he kept circling back to. Lendeborg said Doncic doesn’t belong in the same category as Michael Jordan, the Hall of Famer so intimidating that plenty of players over the years have avoided trash talk altogether.
The rookie’s exchange with Doncic started in the second quarter of Wednesday’s Warriors-Lakers matchup, and it escalated when Doncic ended the period with a half-court buzzer-beater over him before letting him hear about it. Lendeborg’s response afterward drew backlash, but he’s not interested in changing his approach.
“‘I’m always gonna be myself,” Lendeborg said. “I don’t care what anybody has to say about it.
Like, the guys that 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 are they saying?
The 24-year-old rookie thing?”
That age line has followed him since the Warriors took him with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Lendeborg played three seasons in college before turning pro, and Doncic seemed to needle him about being a 24-year-old rookie.
Lendeborg waved that off too.
“I’m 24 in the NBA with the best job in the world,” Lendeborg said. “Just moved my mom out to California.
I’m living a dream. I could care less.
So, I’m always be myself. That’s the way I was taught, the way I was raised.
And I mean, I’m happy with life no matter what goes on.”
He did admit his postgame remarks may have gone a little too far. “I feel like I did kind of take it overboard in the media,” he said.
Even so, the rookie’s stance got support inside the Warriors’ locker room. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green backed him after the Doncic exchange, and Green wants Lendeborg to keep it going the next time the teams meet.
Lendeborg’s latest game also showed plenty on the stat sheet, even if Golden State came up short again. The Warriors blew a 12-point lead late in the loss to Memphis, falling to 0-2. Lendeborg finished with 18 points on 4-11 shooting, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
The Warriors next face the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET at Mortgage Matchup Center.
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Grizzlies Showed Real Fight Late But Fans Will Still Debate This Win
The Grizzlies found a way to outlast Golden State 111-108 in a game that looked like it might get away from them before Memphis flipped the script late. A 17-0 run in the fourth quarter changed everything, with Cam Boozer, Zach Edey and Ty Jerome helping turn a sloppy night into a much-needed win. Boozer finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, while Jerome supplied 28 points and 5 assists, giving Memphis enough shot-making to survive the kind of turnover-heavy game that usually goes the other way.
Isaiah Stewarts Grizzlies debut was another notable subplot, even if his impact came more on the defensive end than the scoreboard. Memphis still coughed it up 25 times, but the Grizzlies also forced 19 Golden State turnovers, which helped keep them close long enough to steal the moment late. For a team trying to settle in early, the bigger question now is whether this kind of fight can carry over, especially with the lineup still taking shape after Stewarts delayed debut. [Read more 🡒]