Roddy Gayle Jr. knows exactly what kind of competitor Yaxel Lendeborg is. He also knows that sometimes the line between fierce and fired up gets a little blurry.
That came through when Gayle Jr. talked about his former Michigan teammate’s latest run-in with Lakers star Luka Doncic. On opening night, Lendeborg went at Doncic defensively in a game the Lakers won 127-105, and afterward he let it fly, saying Doncic sucked and that he lost all respect for him after the game.
Lendeborg also said, "I had a lot of respect for him [because] I didn't really watch the NBA much. I just watched highlights and seen him kill people.
But being in it firsthand and seeing all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect."
Gayle Jr. addressed that dynamic while appearing on 'The Lab' with former Michigan basketball player Jordan Morgan and football player Chris Wormley. He said he has already talked with Lendeborg about keeping the focus on the game, even if that’s not always how Lendeborg operates.
"I never seen him that upset before, but I think that he's super competitor," Gayle Jr. said of his former teammate. "So when it comes to stuff like that and I know them players kind of like really ticked him off. "We spoke about it like I will speak with him more about like 'Hey man you got to watch what you're saying'.
"That's just how he competes. He's always going to defend really hard.
He's always going to play really hard. He's going to, if you really make him very mad, he's going to talk.
I mean, that's just kind of who he is and that's how he's he's expressed himself. But I feel like going at Luka first game of season wasn't the best idea.
That's when you got 30 point triple double. Like you got to learn to pick your battles a little wise."
The numbers backed up at least part of Lendeborg’s case. Doncic went 1-for-6 with Lendeborg as his primary defender, and the rookie forward made him work. But Doncic still finished with 28 points, and Gayle Jr. felt the foul trouble told the bigger story.
"He played terrific defense," said Gayle Jr. "But what I've been telling him is just like let that speak for itself.
Like he got two fouls in attack. So then Luka won it cuz I feel like Luka won that battle in the first half cuz now - you're in foul trouble."
Gayle Jr. also made it clear that Lendeborg’s value went way beyond the stat sheet. He described him as the kind of teammate who kept things loose, even when his timing or words didn’t always land the way they were supposed to. Gayle Jr. said there were no awkward stretches around him, only energy.
"So Yaks kind of broke all types of character just cuz how funny he was, how unserious he was, and like the wrong moments," said Gayle Jr. "But like you kind of needed it.
You kind of needed those moments because like it broke our silence. Like there was no awkward silence for sure with Yaks around.
Like it was just always that kind of joy. I think he lights up every room he walks into.
So, I really appreciate him for what he did."
Lendeborg’s path has already made him one of the most talked-about names connected to Michigan. The Big Ten Player of the Year weighed the choice between the 2025 NBA Draft and coming to Ann Arbor before becoming a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Michigan had the best roster in college basketball last season, and Lendeborg was a huge part of that.
Now he’s with the Golden State Warriors, where he has started his rookie year with 22.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game as the clear No. 2 scoring option behind Steph Curry. He’ll get another shot at Doncic and the Lakers on Friday night, while Gayle Jr. and Michigan return Monday against Oakland.
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