Stephen Curry backed Yaxel Lendeborg’s willingness to challenge Luka Doncic after the Golden State Warriors rookie’s heated introduction to the Los Angeles Lakers star.
The Lakers won Wednesday’s season opener 127-105, but Curry did not view Lendeborg’s verbal exchanges with Doncic as a reason for the rookie to become less outspoken.
Instead, he welcomed the confidence and expressed belief that Lendeborg could support it with his play.
Steph Curry on Yaxel Lendeborg’s trash talk with Luka Doncic: “I love confidence. …. I know he’ll be able to back it up.” pic.twitter.com/ampYOV8rIe
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) October 22, 2026
“I love confidence,” Curry said. “I love that care and passion, and from what I’ve seen from him, it’s about just playing basketball, it’s not about anything else other than competitiveness.”
Curry also acknowledged the expectation that comes with challenging an opponent publicly. Curry said Lendeborg was putting himself in a position where his performance would have to follow.
“So he’s setting the table for himself to have to show up,” Curry said.
His assessment ended with a vote of confidence in the rookie.
“I know he’ll be able to back it up,” Curry said.
Curry’s comments addressed Lendeborg’s back-and-forth with Doncic during the game. They did not explicitly endorse the rookie’s separate postgame criticism of the Lakers guard.
Lendeborg went considerably further in his own remarks, saying he had “lost all respect” for Doncic because of his complaints to officials. He also said he had repeatedly challenged Doncic’s ability to score against him.
Yaxel Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic after facing him tonight because he said Doncic was “complaining the entire game.”
On his interaction with Doncic: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/1NPctFQ3Vp
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
That left two parts to the story: an on-court confrontation Curry was comfortable supporting and a personal assessment Lendeborg delivered afterward.
Draymond Green wants Lendeborg to keep challenging Luka Doncic
Curry was not the only Warriors veteran who saw value in the rookie’s approach.
Draymond Green rejected the idea that facing a player of Doncic’s stature should discourage Lendeborg from being confrontational. His message was to keep competing the next time the two meet.
“Everybody’s gonna be like, ‘Aw man he shouldn’t talk to Luka. You should not talk to Luka.’ I disagree with that s— 1,000 percent,” said Green. “You f—— go and talk to somebody until you can’t f—— talk no more. … Everybody’s like, ‘Oh man, the rookie learned his lesson.’ What he learn? The next time you see him, go at his ass again.”
Draymond Green on Yaxel Lendeborg going at Luka Doncic: “Everyone will say the rookie learned his lesson. What he learn? The next time he see him, go at his ass again.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/jb87fMCjJW
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
Green’s response made clear that the Warriors’ defeat had not persuaded him the rookie should stop talking. Curry’s comments added a different emphasis: Lendeborg’s confidence creates an obligation to perform.
Steve Kerr also supported the competitiveness while questioning how the exchange was officiated. He objected to Lendeborg receiving a technical without Doncic getting one as well, calling the decision “kind of ridiculous.”
Steve Kerr on Yaxel Lendeborg guarding Luka Doncic in his debut: “He had three fouls that probably wouldn’t be fouls in any other league in the world. But it’s the NBA. He’s gotta learn this stuff.”
Kerr didn’t like the technical on Yaxel and not Luka also: “Kind of ridiculous.” pic.twitter.com/SM87XvVY9Y
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
Kerr separately described NBA foul calls as something Lendeborg would have to learn to navigate. The coach’s assessment combined support for the rookie’s approach with recognition that his adjustment to the league remained unfinished.
Luka Doncic focused on avoiding technical fouls
Doncic’s own explanation centered on controlling his response.
Luka on his trash-talking with Yaxel: "Yeah I mean he was talking crazy. I wasn't trying to talk back. This season I'm not trying to get techs."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 22, 2026
“He was talking crazy,” Doncic said.
Doncic said he was trying to avoid technical fouls this season and was working on how he handled those exchanges. His comments concerned what happened during the game, rather than a verified response to Lendeborg’s later remarks about losing respect.
The Lakers also had considerably more to celebrate than the verbal battle. Doncic finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Walker Kessler scored 26 points without missing a field-goal attempt and Austin Reaves added 23.
Those three players combined for 77 points. Doncic’s total was his production against Golden State as a team, not a measure of how many points he scored with Lendeborg guarding him.
For Los Angeles, the opener delivered a win and an encouraging scoring performance from its core. For Lendeborg, it brought public support from Curry and Green, along with the expectation Curry identified: The rookie now has to make his play match his confidence.
