The Golden State Warriors have been a strong coming out party for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg during opening week of the NBA. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has come out firing on all cylinders, both on and off the court, bringing immediate attention to a franchise that has been starving for it.

Opening night in the NBA saw Lendeborg go at Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic repeatedly as the two exchanged words, strong defensive possessions, and offensive trickery to draw fouls. Lendeborg even earned a technical foul for not backing down from Doncic, which caught the eye of many. It was a solid debut for the Michigan product with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal on 5-of-11 shooting in 29 minutes of play.

But it was his comments after the game about losing all respect for Luka Doncic due to his foul-drawing, flopping antics while simultaneously trash talking.

“I had a lot of respect for him [Luka Doncic],” Lendeborg said. “I didn't really watch the NBA, I just watched highlights, seeing him kill people all the time. But then being in there first hand in there firsthand, watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect for him.”

"I had a lot of respect for him [Luka Doncic] … but being in there first hand, watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect for him."

Yaxel Lendeborg on Luka Doncic 👀

(via @anthonyVslater) pic.twitter.com/bwJr82ppwe

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 22, 2026

The public proceeded to lose their minds over those comments, with some calling Lendeborg out for being a rookie inexplicably talking like a multi-year vet while others praised his candidness as a breath of fresh air.

Basketball Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton tells ClutchPoints that he loves everything about Yaxel Lendeborg and his comments, but wants him to do a little more to go at Doncic.

“I like it, I like it!” Payton told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview ahead of Friday's Warriors-Lakers showdown. “This is what you're supposed to do! You don't concede to anybody. I don't care what it is. I don't care who he is. Luka is who he's going to be, but he's still a basketball player and he's still human. Go at him just the way you go at anybody. But with me, I would attack him on the other end of the floor. Make him guard somebody and make him do something. You know what I'm saying? Make him be accountable for what he's doing on the offensive end.”

Doncic is arguably the most potent scorer in the NBA today, capable of erupting for 40-point and even 50-point games on any given night. But the defensive side of the floor is where he's struggled, and it's been shown to be heavily impacted by good defense on him that leads him to complain to the officials instead of getting back defensively.

“He's a great offensive player, but let's see if you can play defense, too,” Payton added to ClutchPoints. “I'm gonna be an offensive player against you and let people help you and then see if you can guard me one-on-one. You know and that's what I like. I like chippiness. I like going back at it. I like rivalries, but to me, go back at him. I think you got to make him play defense, too. Make him be accountable for the things that he's talking about. If you're talking trash, well, then okay, come on! Let's see how you can guard me and defend me as well, right?”

The two players will clash once again on Friday night when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors. Since their opening night game, Luka Doncic had a game in which he dropped 52 points in a win against the Utah Jazz.

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Meanwhile, Yaxel Lendeborg had a historic night in a win against the Denver Nuggets, recording 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, becoming only the second rookie in NBA history to record that kind of stat-line in under 31 minutes of play. The only other player to do so was San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Friday night's game will tip off at 7PM PST on Prime Video.