Can Yaxel Lendeborg’s Unlikely Journey Keep the Warriors’ Dynasty Alive?

By Randall Tom

When prospects are drafted by a historic franchise such as the Golden State Warriors, analysts, experts, and fans are quick to say they have big shoes to fill. Warriors rookie sensation Yaxel Lendeborg is writing his own history, making a case to be the bridge to Golden State’s next era.

Since the turn of the decade, the Warriors have tried to draft and develop young talent to pair with franchise great Stephen Curry, and carry the dynasty forward once he retires. 

The seven-time NBA champions had the chance to build around the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, James Wiseman, but he was off the team after 60 games over two seasons.  

And despite the Warriors most recent championship in 2022, Golden State has had only three out of the 14 draft picks to reach their second contract with the team since 2020. Of those three, forward Jonathan Kuminga was let go in free agency, guard Moses Moody this season continues to rehab a knee injury, and guard Brandin Podziemski recently signed the longest rookie deal since guard Jordan Poole this summer.  

So where does Lendeborg fit? Selected 11th overall in the 2026 NBA draft, he has gotten off to a promising start to the 2026-27 season.

This season for the Warriors, Lendeborg is averaging 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting over 50% from the field and nearly 45% from three. 

Lendeborg’s breakout game was a win against the Denver Nuggets, where he posted 31 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, outperforming former MVP Nikola Jokic. Lendeborg would become the first Warriors rookie since Curry to record 30-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, and 5-plus assists. 

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had high praise for the rookie. 

“In all the critical spots, we put the ball in his hands. For a rookie to be that advanced already is extremely rare … He’s going to be a guy who closes games,” Kerr said.

In this early stretch, only two other franchise rookies had ever topped 200 points through 10 career games, Wilt Chamberlain in 1959 and Rick Barry in 1965. Lendeborg is now the third. These are never-before-seen numbers not just for Golden State Warriors franchise rookies but in NBA history. Lendeborg in his first five games is one of six players in NBA history to achieve 100 points, 40 rebounds, and 20 assists according to Elias Sports Bureau,.  

But how did a junior college player become relevant for a fading Warriors dynasty? Lendeborg’s high school basketball career started out with making the varsity team as a freshman before being cut halfway through the season due to academic probation. He would rejoin the team and lead the team to a 10-1 record. 

In college, he played for three teams at three levels. His first stop was Arizona Western College, where he became the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year. After three seasons, he signed a letter of intent to play at St. John’s but was not retained after the school hired Rick Pitino as coach.

Lendeborg transferred to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors and Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons. He became one of only two players in NCAA Division I history to record more than 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a season, joining Hall of Famer Larry Bird. 

After two seasons at UAB, the former junior college player entered the transfer portal ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Lendeborg’s last college stop came in his graduate season at Michigan. He led the Wolverines to the No. 1 ranking, was named Big Ten Player of the Year and guided them to a national championship with a 69-63 win over UConn in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Fast forward to Nov. 1, 2026, and Lendeborg would drop a career-high 37 points, leading the shorthanded Warriors past the Clippers, 124-112, without Stephen Curry. That win put the Warriors over .500 despite starting 0-3. 

“Whenever Steph’s not in the game, it’s my opportunity to try to be the leader, be the main guy on the team,” Lendeborg said. 

All of the success and records would not be possible without one person in Yaxel Lendeborg’s life as a motivator.  In a recent piece written by Lendeborg for the NBA Players’ Tribune, he detailed how his Mother, Yissel Raposo, saved his life in the back of a minivan. 

Like some teens, Lendeborg was distracted by video games, leading to a decline in academics. His mother was crying because Lendeborg failed his studies, which led to a moment of reckoning for the future NBA player.  

“Seeing my mom in that moment, and catching a glimpse of the heartbreak she was feeling over what was happening with me — it changed the trajectory of my entire life.” 

From that moment on, Lendeborg promised to try harder and take additional classes to get back on track. 

“My mom pretty much saved my life that night. All that I do, anything I have or will accomplish, I owe it all to her. She is my guardian angel. My hero.” 

Lendeborg recently shared a video of achieving his lifetime goal of surprising his mother with a home in California, paying back the promises he made as a young teen in New Jersey. 

Built on the motivation from his mother, on every team Lendeborg has been a part of, he’s made a positive impact that led to success. And there is one question remaining: can Yaxel Lendeborg do the same for the Warriors and keep the golden dynasty alive?