Warriors Rookie's Hilarious Reaction to Learning He'd Guard Luka Dončić Goes Viral
Yaxel Lendeborg shared his 'WTF' moment on social media after being told he'd face the NBA superstar.
Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg experienced a rapid shift in expectations during the team's preseason game against the Lakers, a moment that quickly gained traction online.
Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9, 241-pound forward, was initially informed by assistant coach Frank Vogel that he would be tasked with guarding Lakers star Luka Dončić. This news came as a surprise to Lendeborg, who was unaware that Dončić would not be playing.
"I’m on my phone chilling and [Vogel] comes up to me, ‘Hey, you’re guarding Luka tonight,’" Lendeborg recounted. "I said, ‘What the f–k? You’re just gonna throw me in the fire?’"
The rookie shared that he tried to appear calm but was visibly shaken by the prospect of defending the two-time reigning scoring champion.
Dončić was ultimately given the night off by coach JJ Redick, a decision the Warriors were not privy to when preparing their defensive strategy. Lendeborg, who had been averaging 19 points per game in previous exhibition games, was considered for the defensive assignment due to his versatility.
Instead of guarding Dončić, Lendeborg ended up matched up against Lakers center Walker Kessler, who was making his preseason debut. In the Warriors' 101-89 exhibition win, Kessler scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 16 minutes. Lendeborg contributed 17 points, shooting nine free throws in 26 minutes.
Dončić led the NBA in scoring last season with an average of 33.5 points per game. Lendeborg acknowledged that Vogel's instructions were to simply "do your best" against the high-scoring player, as "Nobody can stop him."
The unexpected assignment and subsequent learning experience highlighted for Lendeborg the unpredictable nature of the NBA, where plans can change instantaneously.
