Warriors rookie Lendeborg: I lost my respect for Doncic

Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg harshly criticized Luka Doncic after his first NBA game, against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers won the game 127 to 105.

Starting in place of the absent Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, Lendeborg guarded Doncic for much of the game. According to ESPN tracking data, the Slovenian star made only 1 of 6 shots on possessions where Lendeborg was the primary defender.

The tension escalated toward the end of the second quarter. Doncic drew a shooting foul on Lendeborg and then said something to the rookie. Lendeborg said the problem was less the foul call than Doncic arguing with the referees throughout the game. The young player said he had great respect for Doncic because he doesn't watch much NBA, but that he lost that respect completely when he saw the complaints on the court.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr briefly took Lendeborg out, then put him back on Doncic. The verbal back-and-forth continued. With 31 seconds left in the second quarter, Lendeborg stopped Doncic without fouling, but he was given a technical foul when he kept talking to his opponent. Lendeborg admitted that he told Doncic he was playing badly and could not score against him, and that he also swore a few times.