Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg seeks wisdom from legends as his star rises

Yaxelmania is beginning Dub Nation. The rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is fresh off of winning a national championship at Michigan, taking Summer League MVP in Vegas, and stealing the show in Denver on a night he shared the court with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Stephen Curry.

His 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists helped the Golden State Warriors get their first win of the season after dropping their first three games. It also got him a primetime audience with legends turned commentators Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, and Vince Carter in the postgame TV show. What struck me the most about his interview was the way he openly beamed with gratitude on the chance to speak with those greats, asking for advice live on national television.

That’s what balling will do: get you noticed by Hall-of-Famers. The superlatives are rolling in: he’s got a nice jump shot, the physicality to get to where he wants to go, a smooth handle with passing feel, and an indomitable will. Just ask Luka Doncic. Speaking of Hall-of-Famers, Yax has been receiving great praise from his legendary teammates, starting with Stephen Curry:

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“His composure. I mean, he just came off of an NCAA championship run,” Curry noted. “He’s just got composure, feel. His size on the court; he’s a matchup problem. He’s never really in a hurry and he’s starting to see the pictures really well. Distributing, being aggressive, getting to the free-throw line, offensive rebounding. Kind of the full package. So, we want him to continue to play aggressive.”

His Coach Steve Kerr pontificated on Big Yax’s play as well:

“He’s strong as an ox and skilled,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The way the game’s played, he’s going to be able to get to the line a ton. You saw it tonight. Basically in all the critical moments of the game, we just put the ball in his hands. And for a rookie to be that advanced already, it’s extremely rare.”

Then you open the stat sheet, and Yaxelmania starts evolving from a fan base on a desperate sugar high into legitimate data. Through four games, Yax is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists, and according to Real App he’s…

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Publish date : 2026-10-28 08:01:00

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