Yaxel Lendeborg has been making waves in the media following the Warriors’ 127-105 blowout loss to the Lakers on opening night on Wednesday. The Dubs rookie fired shots at Lakers superstar Luka Dončić in the postgame conference, criticizing the six-time All-Star’s habit of complaining to the referee during a game. On Friday, Lendeborg did not back down from his comments on the Lakers superstar.

Yaxel Lendeborg Continues to Take Shots at Luka Dončić

After the Grizzlies handed a 111-108 loss to the Warriors in their second game of the season on Friday, ESPN’s Anthony Slater asked Lendeborg what he was instructed to do after his comments on Dončić. The Dubs rookie revealed that he was told not to talk to the Lakers superstar.

“He’s gonna say what he’s gonna say; I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say,” he said. “I’m not afraid to talk to nobody. He’s not Michael Jordan. Like, come on now, it’s fun trash talk.”

Later, he admitted to going overboard in his postgame conference comments.

“I feel like I did kinda take it overboard in the media, but I mean, you know, it is what it is.”

Lendeborg has not shied away from talking to the media since getting selected 11th in the 2026 draft. Lendeborg was Dončić’s primary defender and held him to 1-for-5 shooting in those matchups, per NBA tracking data. Dončić still finished 7-for-18 overall with 28 points. However, Dončić, one of the league’s best scorers, still finished with 28 points.

“I had a lot of respect for him,” Lenderborg said in the postgame conference on Wednesday. “But being in there firsthand, watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect for him.”

Later, the rookie said that Dončić has scored 28 points against the Warriors, not on him, in an individual matchup.

Dončić addressed Lendeborg after the opener, saying the rookie was ‘talking crazy’ while explaining that he was trying to avoid technical fouls this season. He also had a sharp comeback for Lendeborg during the game.

On Friday, Bleacher Report shared a video featuring Dončić’s clever comeback to Lendeborg in the third quarter.

“Hey bro, you’re 24 and a rookie. Relax,” Dončić said.

Dončić and Lendeborg have a three-year age gap, but it is no secret that the Lakers superstar had become a global superstar by the time he was the Warriors rookie’s age.

He entered the league at 19, and by 24, he had earned four All-Star selections and been named to three straight All-NBA First Teams. He had also led the Mavs to the NBA Finals in June during the 2023-24 season after turning 25 in February 2024.