SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr “loved” the back-and-forth between Yaxel Lendeborg and Luka Doncic on opening night time. He had other bones to decide with the Warriors’ rookie’s debut.
Doncic went off for 28 factors while the Lakers handed Golden State a blowout loss Wednesday night time, but that didn’t cease Lendeborg from persevering with his battle of phrases afterward.
Besides saying that he “lost all respect” for the Lakers famous person for his “whining” to the refs, Lendeborg touted his particular person protection on Doncic. He said that he advised Doncic that he couldn’t rating on him, and the stats backed that up to a diploma, holding him to 1-of-5 in their matchups.
That’s where Kerr took challenge with the rookie operating his mouth.
Golden State Warriors guard Yaxel Lendeborg defends against Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic during the first half of an NBA basketball recreation at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. Getty Images
“Who the eff cares?” Kerr said of the one-on-one matchup. “He did a good job on Luka 1-on-1, but we got torched by Luka as a team. I don’t care. … It’s like, they scored 120 on us. That stuff’s all bulls–t. It’s our defense. He knows that. I talked to him the other day. Our defense was not good regardless of him individually when he guarded the ball.”
Lendeborg completed with 12 factors, 4 private fouls and one technical in 29 minutes. He has another emotionally charged matchup Friday in the Warriors’ house opener against the Grizzlies.
It will be the first NBA showdown between Lendeborg and the No. 3 general decide out of Duke, Cameron Boozer, which the Michigan man drafted eight slots later said he circled on his calendar. But Kerr wasn’t too involved about the rookie’s mindset.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr calls a play during the first half of an NBA basketball recreation against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. Getty Images
He had more concrete suggestions from Lendeborg’s NBA debut.
“He’s a little bit of a coaster,” Kerr said. “I want to see him run the floor harder. I think that will open up a lot of opportunities. He’s so skilled and big that if we get him to run the court — both ways — a little harder, a little faster, he’s going to end up finding the ball more and be more of a threat.”
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Golden State Warriors appears on during a recreation against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Kerr agreed with Steph Curry that Lendeborg will have to back up his speaking with his play on the court docket. He won’t have to wait lengthy before he sees Doncic again.
The Lakers go to Chase Center next Friday, and Lendeborg is positive to have a goal on his back.
“I love the young guy. He’s really talented. I love his competitiveness,” Kerr said. “Like I said, I didn’t thoughts the stuff the other day. But as Steph said, you’ve got to back it up. That’s the factor.
“We play the Lakers again next week, so, OK, here you go.”