Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is one of the most beloved players in the NBA, including by his peers. Nearly every player in the Association respects Doncic for his generational talent and fiery, competitive edge on the court, and Luka is also widely reported to be an excellent human being off the court. In sum, an all-around gem of a dude.
But according to Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who has played in all of one game in the NBA, Doncic actually isn't worthy of respect at all. That's right -- following Wednesday night's opener for the Lakers and Warriors (which Los Angeles won in convincing fashion), Lendeborg sat before a postgame microphone and asserted -- without irony -- that he "lost all respect" for Doncic during the game due to Luka's complaining. Lendeborg also shared that he told Doncic that "he sucks" during the course of the game. Cool.
Yaxel Lendeborg just showed that he's utterly tone deaf with heinous Luka Doncic comments
Yaxel Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic after facing him tonight because he said Doncic was “complaining the entire game.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
On his interaction with Doncic: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/1NPctFQ3Vp
There's absolutely nothing wrong with trash-talking on an NBA floor. Just ask Doncic, who did plenty of barking and gesturing in Lendeborg's direction during last night's game. At one point, I'm pretty sure Doncic was also asking Warriors head coach Steve Kerr to sub Lendeborg back into the game (in a mocking fashion).
But there's a general rule of thumb that Lendeborg is apparently aloof to: What's said between players on the court during the heat of battle stays on the court. You don't go and cry wolf to the media after the game, or brag about some cocky verbal comeback you dished out, even if you're asked a question about it. Talking about all the trash spewed isn't impressive or classy, for one thing. And it doesn't really impact winning for your team, so what's the point?
And speaking of not impacting winning, why does Lendeborg think that angering or instigating Luka is going to help the Warriors? Has he not watched Doncic's career at all? Does he not realize that Luka is a competitive psycho who will now make it his mission to destroy Lendeborg's soul (and the Warriors) every single time they meet on an NBA court for the rest of their lives?
Because, knowing Luka, that's exactly what he'll aim to do. So, yeah ... Lendeborg just dug himself into a hole, put a target on his back, and made life unnecessarily difficult for the Warriors moving forward in any matchups with the Lakers. Well done, rook! Maybe wait until you've played in, say, two NBA games before you decide it's appropriate to position yourself as a villain to one of the game's five best players. You're simply not that guy.
Not yet, anyway. Even Dillon Brooks spent multiple years in the NBA and garnered a ton of respect through that service time before his whole "LeBron James villain" persona was able to be palatable and even likable to an NBA audience. Lendeborg trying this stunt one game into his career just makes him look like he's overcompensating for something. And I don't know what for, because he's a heck of a player who can really help the Warriors immediately. But he didn't help them at all with this nonsense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google