Yaxel Lendeborg is ready to reignite his newfound rivalry with Luka Doncic
· Yahoo Sports
Yaxel Lendeborg is ready to reignite his newfound rivalry with Luka Doncic originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
To start the 2026-27 NBA season, Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg ignited a rivalry with Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. It was a big story because Lendeborg was not shy about talking trash to one of the league's best players.
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Since that was his first-ever NBA game, it was even more impressive. Lendeborg has never been the type of player to back down from a challenge, and that has led to him playing so well in his rookie year so far. Now, he has another shot at Doncic, and it could be a golden opportunity.
Yaxel Lendeborg wants to keep challenging Luka Doncic
Doncic has been one of the best players in the league yet again this season. He is fresh off games where he scored 50+ points and 40+ points, which is a bad sign for anyone who wants to defend him.
On Friday, the Lakers and the Warriors will play against each other again. While Doncic had 28 points during their first matchup, Lendeborg did hold him to some inefficient numbers when he was matched up against him.
MORE: Luka Doncic throws some shade at Yaxel Lendeborg after their conflict
Since that game, Lendeborg has also been superb to start his NBA career. In his first five games, Lendeborg has averaged 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and four assists per game. He definitely has shown that he is ready for the big leagues, and that involves him playing against stars like Doncic.
"Absolutely. Yes, I am. I’ll talk about that on Friday," Lendeborg said in response to a question about his matchup against Doncic on Friday.
Lendeborg is certainly a breath of fresh air because he is quite vocal as a rookie. Most first-year players are reserved because they are just entering the league, so they don't want to ruffle any feathers.
That is not the case with Lendeborg, who is quite older than his fellow 2026 draftees. However, Lendeborg does have the personality to match the words that he has said over the past few weeks.
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