Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg turns down media training before Lakers rematch
Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg says he won't take media training as Golden State hosts Luka Doncic and the Lakers in a rematch of opening night.
Yaxel Lendeborg has no plans to soften his message. Golden State's rookie forward told the San Francisco Chronicle's Luca Evans that he will not go through media training, even after his comments about Luka Doncic made him a national story in his first week as a pro. The New York Post relayed the interview as the Warriors got ready to host Doncic and the Lakers at Chase Center on Friday night.
Lendeborg framed it as a matter of honesty. He said he would rather give real answers than the kind of flat interviews he doesn't enjoy watching himself, adding, "I'm going to stay true to myself and be honest." NBC Sports Bay Area reported that Draymond Green backed him. Green's view is that media training usually exists to turn a player into someone else, and he asked why anyone would want that.
It started in the Oct. 21 opener in Los Angeles. Lendeborg spent most of his NBA debut guarding Doncic, picked up four fouls, and watched the Lakers star go 9-for-9 at the free-throw line in a 127-105 Lakers win, according to CBS Sports. Afterward, Lendeborg said he had "lost all respect" for Doncic and accused him of flopping and working the officials. The next day he admitted he had gone overboard. Two nights after the opener, Steve Kerr made his own complaint about foul-baiting, aimed at Memphis.
None of this would matter as much if Lendeborg weren't playing so well. The 11th overall pick, who turned 24 in September, is averaging 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists, NBC Sports Bay Area reported. He came into Friday with three straight games of 25 or more points, including a 31-point double-double in Denver. He scored 26 more on Wednesday in Minnesota, the night Stephen Curry put up 44.
What it means against the Lakers
The Warriors arrived at the rematch 2-3. They lost their first three games, to the Lakers, Memphis and Phoenix, before winning twice on the road. They beat the Nuggets 134-114 and then held off the Timberwolves 119-114. The Memphis game was a three-point loss and the Phoenix game was a nine-point loss, so the slow start was closer than the record looks. The Lakers came in 4-1, according to iHeart. Their only loss was to Portland on Tuesday, a game in which they gave up nearly 140 points.
Golden State's problems in the opener went beyond Doncic's 28 points. Walker Kessler went 12-for-12 and scored 26, and the Warriors gave up 127. A better result depends on keeping Lendeborg out of foul trouble so he can stay on Doncic, and on doing a better job against Kessler around the rim. Golden State has also been playing without several injured players, NBC Sports Bay Area noted, which puts more of the load on a rookie who has already shown he can carry it.
The game is on Prime Video. Lendeborg has made sure everyone will be watching his matchup with Doncic. Coverage of the season continues on our Warriors team page.
