Growing up, every young basketball player's dream is to one day play in the NBA. Watching players like LeBron James and Steph Curry, learning how they drive to the basket or make insane shots, is something kids look up to, and Yaxel Lendeborg hopes to be that one day for the younger generation.
At Michigan, Lendeborg was able to capture the glory of winning it all, bringing home a National Championship in his lone season with the Wolverines. He now has the fame to go along with it, being the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and showing off in the NBA Summer League, but when asked about what his goals are for his rookie season, it wasn't about championships, fame or glory.
"Try to slow the game down," Lendeborg said. "I don't really have any like MVP kind of things. I just want to be a role model to the kids, I wanna be somebody that the kids look up to and wanna be like, so those are pretty much my only goals for now, and try to be as simple as possible"
Yaxel Lendeborg on his rookie year goals:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 15, 2026
"Try to slow the game down. I don't really have any like MVP kind of things. I just want to be a role model to the kids, I wanna be somebody that the kids look up to and wanna be like...try to be as simple as possible" pic.twitter.com/1xNEQorwMK
Now, that's not to say that Lendeborg wouldn't be happy with an individual award like Rookie of the Year or a championship, but keeping things simple is working for him now, so why change things up?
Yaxel Lendeborg's role with Golden State will be vastly different from the one he had at Michigan
When Lendeborg committed to Michigan from the transfer portal, everyone knew Dusty May got his star player, which was key to the roster he built. May got himself a player who could play the game at a high level, both on offense and defense. Lendeborg was the leading scorer for the Wolverines with 15.1 points per game, was second in rebounds with 6.8 per game, first in steals, averaging 1.1 per game, and second in blocks with 1.2 per game.
He was the all-around guy that May knew he could put anywhere on the court, and he would succeed. Even when he was injured in the Final Four game against Arizona, he found ways to get open and just be the guy to help the most on offense when others got down the court and helped on defense.
Lendeborg was the guy at Michigan, but that is going to change once he hits the court with guys like Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Kristaps Porzingis. Even as the Golden State Warriors' first-round pick, Lendeborg's time on the court could be limited. When he had his pre-draft meeting with the team, Lendeborg alluded to him being the main sub for Curry, injecting some energy on the court.
So while things are going to look different for Lendeborg than they did when he was playing at the college level, he still can find ways to play his game with the Warriors. Every team has a game plan going into the season, but if Lendeborg plays to the level he is accustomed to, he might force head coach Steve Kerr to give him more minutes on the court.
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