Yaxel Lendeborg scored 12 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 127-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on October 21, but his NBA debut drew attention for his heated exchange with Luka Doncic. The No. 11 pick received a technical foul in the second quarter after going back and forth with the Lakers star, who ended the half with a half-court buzzer-beater.
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The exchange continued to draw attention after the game. Lendeborg said he had “lost all respect” for Doncic, while Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the rookie had received “the rookie treatment.”
Draymond Green has now defended his young teammate. Speaking on his podcast, he took issue with the technical foul.
“For Yaxel to get a tech for saying something on one play that Luka doesn’t say something, I thought was the weakest s**t ever,” Green said.
Green also made clear that he understands the hierarchy between established NBA players and rookies. However, he does not believe a player’s reputation should stop a newcomer from competing on equal terms.
“I respect the hell out of Yaxel for willing to stand toe-to-toe,” Green said. He later added, “If you can’t rock with a guy like that, who compete like that, who willing to fight like that, you’re probably a loser.”
His argument comes down to how players respond when their confidence is challenged. Green believes the criticism should be directed at someone who starts talking but backs away once the exchange intensifies, rather than someone who stands by what they say.
“The guy you criticize is the guy that does that and then tuck his tail and run. That’s the guy who should be criticized, not the guy who do it, stand 10 toes on it, continues to go forward,” Green said.
Green has some experience in this department. He said he came into the league talking, and pointed to his rookie-year game-winner against LeBron James and the Miami Heat, when the two were already trading words.
“He tell me I’m too little. I score, tell him he too little. Then I get to walk off,” Green recalled. “When you see the respect and love that Bron and I have for each other now, it starts there from a guy not backing down.”
That shot came on December 12, 2012. With 0.9 seconds remaining, Green finished a pass from Jarrett Jack to give Golden State a 97-95 win in Miami. Green scored seven points, while James finished with 31 and congratulated the rookie after the game.
The moment explains why Green believes rookies should not be expected to stay quiet simply because they are facing established stars. In his view, competition and mutual respect can coexist, and a player’s standing in the league should not prevent a younger opponent from standing up for himself.
Draymond Green, now a four-time NBA champion, expects the same kind of respect he got from James to follow for his rookie teammate.
“I’ll guarantee you one thing,” Green said. “He keep going toe-to-toe, regardless of how Luka feels, he going to have to respect him.”
Green’s message to Lendeborg’s critics is that confidence should not be mistaken for disrespect. For him, the willingness to compete and stand by one’s words matters more than the superstar status.