Marcus D. Smith, USA TODAY Thu, October 22, 2026 at 10:46 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Golden State Warriors got the chance to see their No. 11 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft make his league debut on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg got a taste of the NBA and earned his first 'welcome to the league' moment during the season-opening matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers , who defeated the Warriors , 127-105.
Lendeborg played 29 minutes and scored 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting, adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal. However, the main lesson Lendeborg learned of the day is don't mess with Luka Dončić.
The rookie found himself guarding Dončić on multiple possessions during the game. Lendeborg accepted the challenge. He didn't back down, playing physical with the Lakers' All-Star and letting him hear it, too.
Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Alperen Sengun #28 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 09, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during the third quarter in a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 11, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler McFarland, Getty Images) Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Amen Thompson #10 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on October 07, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford, Getty Images) Brandon Miller #24 poses for a photo opportunity during the Charlotte Hornets Media Day at Novant Health Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images) Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant, Getty Images) Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to rebound against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. (Jason Miller, Getty Images) Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz waits for a free throw during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 127-114. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Jordan Bank, Getty Images) Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason game against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz rushes the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of their preseason game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 1 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 1 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 3 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Alperen Sengun #28 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 09, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 4 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during the third quarter in a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 11, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler McFarland, Getty Images) 5 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 6 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) 7 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 8 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Amen Thompson #10 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 9 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on October 07, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford, Getty Images) 10 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Brandon Miller #24 poses for a photo opportunity during the Charlotte Hornets Media Day at Novant Health Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images) 11 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 12 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 13 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant, Getty Images) 14 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to rebound against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) 15 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 16 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz waits for a free throw during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 17 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 127-114. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 18 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 19 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 20 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Jordan Bank, Getty Images) 21 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 22 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason game against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) 23 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 24 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz rushes the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of their preseason game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) 25 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) That might have been where Lendeborg messed up. Dončić scored 28 points on 7-for-18 from the field and added eight rebounds and seven assists.
The two went at each other, especially in the first half. But Dončić had the last laugh at the end of the second quarter where he banked in a half court shot from about 50 feet to beat the buzzer. Going into the locker room, he had some words for Lendeborg.
Lendeborg even received a technical foul for his back-and-forth with Dončić. After the game, Lendeborg discussed what happened on the court with him and Dončić.
Lendeborg described his debut as "interesting."
As for Dončić, he said he lost respect for him.
"I had a lot of respect for him," Lendeborg said. "I didn't watch the NBA much. I just watched highlights, seeing him kill people all the time. But then being in there first hand, just watching him whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man. Like, that was awful.
"Like me getting frustrated, it's not about the foul being called, it's about him complaining the entire game. And then you get foul call. Congratulations, bro," Lendeborg added. "And then you talk to me, like you did something great, bro. Come on, now. It kind of threw me off for a little while, 'cause, you know, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone."
On Dončić's end, it was business as usual.
"I think everybody knows when somebody starts talking, it (brings out) a different me, so that was it," Dončić said in postgame interview with ESPN.
Later, he told reporters that Lendeborg "was talking crazy" and Dončić wasn't trying to talk back.
"This season I'm not trying to get techs, so it's the first time that that was not a double tech because I didn't say nothing," he added. "So I'm working on it. As you see, I think it worked great."
Head coach Steve Kerr's message to Lendeborg: "Better days ahead."
"I loved the back and forth," Kerr told reporters. "Yaxel's a competitor. This was a great welcome to the NBA game for him, having to guard Luka, who's as tough to guard as anybody in the world. Having to learn about all the little tricks that exist in the NBA. He probably had three fouls that probably wouldn't be called fouls in any other league in the world, but it's the NBA, and he's got to learn this stuff."
"It's his first game," Kerr added. "He is an unbelievable young guy, and great talent, and it was a frustrating night for him, but a lesson well learned, and he'll get better from here."
For what it's worth, Kerr thought that Dončić and Lendeborg should have received double technical fouls for their back and forth banter. However, it was the rookie that got whistled.
Teammate Draymond Green encouraged him to keep talking and was honest when speaking to reporters about how Lendeborg should approach guarding Dončić for the rest of the season.
"Everyone's going to say 'you should not talk to Luka' and I disagree with that (expletive)," Green said. "1,000%. You (expletive) gonna talk to somebody, you talk until you can't (expletive) talk no more. And if he bust your ass, guess what? You gotta play him again three more times and you go back at his ass again. Then you see him the third time and you go back at his ass again."
Green said you have to earn respect in the league at the end of the day.
"If you start talking to someone, then you got yourself into a battle," Green said. "When I lose respect is when you start talking to someone and you realize 'oh I'm into a battle' and you stop. You keep going. You get all my respect."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yaxel Lendeborg rips Luka Dončić after debut: 'I lost all respect'
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