Golden State Warriors top draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg responded with shock when assistant coach Frank Vogel informed him he would guard Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić during a preseason game on Tuesday night. Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick from the Michigan Wolverines, told reporters that he was on his phone before the game when Vogel approached him with the assignment.
"'Hey, you're guarding Luka tonight,'" Lendeborg recalled. "I said, 'What the f? You're just gonna throw me in the fire?'"
The rookie's reaction stemmed from the difficulty of defending one of the league's most prolific offensive players. Lendeborg noted that Vogel mentioned Dončić averages around 30 to 35 points and that nobody can stop him. "My mind was all over the place after that," Lendeborg said. "I tried to act all cool, but I was spooked."
Ultimately, Lakers head coach JJ Redick decided to rest Dončić, so Lendeborg did not face him in the game. Instead, Lendeborg matched up with center Walker Kessler, who debuted for Los Angeles in the preseason. The Warriors won the contest 101-89.
Lendeborg's defensive background includes winning Defensive Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference while at UAB and becoming a first-team all-defense member in the Big Ten during his 2025 season at Michigan. However, he acknowledged that guarding an NBA star is different from facing college players.
Despite not facing Dončić, Lendeborg performed well against Kessler and scored 19 points for Golden State. Head coach Steve Kerr is expected to utilize the 6-foot-9 rookie as a versatile defender who can handle multiple assignments regardless of position.
The Warriors and Lakers will meet again on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles to start their regular season schedules. If the matchup occurs then, Lendeborg will have another opportunity to test his skills against the Lakers' star.