Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg ‘not afraid' to be himself after early criticism

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg ‘not afraid' to be himself after early criticism originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has seen your tweets. He has seen the reactions online, by TV show hosts and on the radio waves about him trash-talking Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić during and after the Warriors’ 22-point loss to open the 2026-27 NBA season on Wednesday night. 

He, quite literally, couldn’t care less. 

Lendeborg kept the quotes flying in the Warriors’ locker room after their loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at Chase Center.

“What the heck? I ain’t never been no h-e,” Lendeborg said. “Like, c’mon now. He’s gonna say what he wants to say, I’m gonna say what I want to say. I’m not afraid to talk to nobody, man. He’s not Michael Jordan. C’mon now. 

“It’s fun trash-talk. I feel like I did kind of take it overboard in the media, but it is what it is.” 

Lendeborg said Wednesday night in LA that he “lost all respect” for Dončić because of the way he flops and complains to refs. The two jawed at each other from the jump, only for it to escalate during the second quarter. Lendeborg was whistled for a technical foul in his NBA debut, and then another Friday night as well when he came to his team’s defense and pushed Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome as part of a skirmish under the basket. 

The Warriors showed support for Lendeborg on Wednesday night, and have continued to do so in the day since. 

Coach Steve Kerr said he respects Lendeborg for not backing down from such a challenge. Draymond Green encouraged him to keep talking, and Steph Curry said he believes Lendeborg is ready to play with a target on his back. 

If the target grows big enough to cover Lendeborg’s entire back, he still won’t change who is and who he always has been. 

“I’m always gonna be myself, man,” Lendeborg said. “I don’t care what anybody has to say about it. The guys over there on the couch talking bad about me, like, c’mon bro, I couldn’t care less if that’s what you got to say.” 

Yes, Lendeborg has seen the jokes about his age, too. No, that always doesn’t matter one bit to him. 

“What else are they saying, the 24-year-old rookie thing? I’m 24, in the NBA with the best job in the world,” Lendeborg continued. “I just moved my mom out to California. I’m living the dream. I couldn’t care less. 

“I’m always going to be myself. That’s the way I was taught, that’s the way I was raised. I’m happy with life, no matter what goes on.” 

Following Lendeborg’s 12-point performance in his first game, the Warriors’ top pick had his first career double-double in his second game. Lendeborg scored 18 points on 4-of-11 shooting, adding 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals, but also six turnovers as a minus-9 in 37 minutes.

Already shorthanded, the Warriors will be leaning on Lendeborg on Saturday in Phoenix against the Suns on the second night of a back-to-back. Curry said he’s “probably not” playing, Brandin Podziemski already ruled himself out and Al Horford, who played 19 minutes Friday night, is never part of both sides of a back-to-back.

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