Rookie Lendeborg spars with Dončić in debut, admits he ‘didn’t really watch the NBA much’
Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg jawed with Luka Dončić during his NBA debut in Wednesday’s game on 22 October 2026, a contest Dončić’s team won 127-105. Lendeborg also said he had limited exposure to the league before turning professional, largely seeing it through highlights.
Lendeborg was the No 11 overall pick by the Warriors in this year’s draft after helping Michigan win the NCAA Tournament and was assigned to guard the Los Angeles Lakers star for large parts of Wednesday’s game. He had early success defending Dončić, who finished with 28 points, and Lendeborg acknowledged a shift in his view after facing him directly. “I had a lot of respect for him [because] I didn’t really watch the NBA much,” Lendeborg said. “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.”
The two clashed visibly in the second quarter when Dončić was fouled by Lendeborg after a pump fake and celebrated in front of the rookie. Lendeborg described the exchange afterwards: “You get the foul call. Congratulations, bro,” Lendeborg said. “Then you talk to me like you did something great. C’mon, dog. That shit is weak. It kind of threw me off because I have so much respect for him. Gone, man. Gone.”
Lendeborg received a technical foul for his comments during the game. “I was telling him he sucks,” Lendeborg said. “He can’t score on me. You talk but you can’t score on me. I said it the whole game. I said a couple cuss words, obviously. That’s why I got the technical. But I was letting him know.”
Reflecting on his first NBA appearance, Lendeborg said he found the league’s on-court behaviour surprising. “I guess this is what the NBA is like, man,” Lendeborg said. “A lot of flopping, a lot of foul baiting, a lot of praying to the refs, man. Interesting first game for me.” He also admitted a pre-draft history with teammates, saying he used to hate his new teammate Stephen Curry because he was a fan of one of his playing rivals, Kyrie Irving.
Warriors veteran Draymond Green responded to the rookie’s approach after the game. “In this league, everybody always says, ‘Oh, there’s certain guys you got to respect,’” Green said after Wednesday’s game. “I ain’t come in the league like that. Everybody will say, ‘Oh, the rookie learned his lesson.’ What’d he learn? The next time he see him, go at his ass again.”
Dončić addressed the incident and his own response to Lendeborg’s taunts, saying: “He was talking crazy,” Dončić said. “But I wasn’t trying to talk back. This season, I’m not trying to get techs.”