The Golden State Warriors didn’t draft Yaxel Lendeborg 11th overall to sit on the bench and learn. They drafted him to play, and he knows it.
Introduced to Bay Area media alongside second-round pick Lajae Jones, Lendeborg was clear about what he wants to be in year one. Not a scorer, not a highlight reel. A defender.
“Just to try to develop something that I can be known for, an identity for myself,” Lendeborg said. “I want to try to go in there and be one of the primary defenders. See if I can gain some trust for them to put me on the best player on the team, or anything like that. But being able to do the little things on the court to help out.”
That mindset is exactly why Mike Dunleavy and the front office used a lottery pick on a 23-year-old who took the long way to get here. The Warriors need size and athleticism on the wings, especially with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody in the rotation. And the opportunity? It’s basically already there.
“To be frank, whether we want him to or not, given our roster constraints and injuries and stuff like that, the opportunity will be there,” Dunleavy said on draft night.
Veteran welcome and a locker next to Steph
Lendeborg is already getting the star treatment. Steph Curry welcomed him and Jones into a group chat right after the draft. The rookie also got a locker next to the two-time MVP, which probably beats most first-day perks.
Draymond Green hasn’t texted him back yet, which Lendeborg joked about. But the two had a funny back-and-forth on Instagram about the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. Lendeborg also connected with Al Horford, another Dominican player, who gave him advice during the pre-draft process.
“It’ll be a perfect scenario to be in,” Lendeborg said. “Just being able to pick their brains about stuff in the league that made it tough for them to transition or stuff that made it easier to transition. I feel like all we have to do is go in there, ask a lot of questions, be ourselves, and just learn as much as we can so we can have a successful long journey.”
The long road from JUCO to the NBA
Lendeborg’s path to the draft is not the typical one-and-done story. He spent three years at Arizona Western College, a junior college, before transferring to UAB and eventually winning a championship at Michigan. That journey almost didn’t happen. His mother, Yissel Raposo, called and emailed dozens of schools to get him a scholarship at Arizona Western.
“When he was little, I always knew,” Raposo said. “I always said to some random people, take a picture, he’s gonna be in the NBA.”
Raposo is currently battling Stage 4 appendix cancer. His sister, Yakari, said watching her brother reach the league is pushing the whole family to work harder for their mom.
Lendeborg believes the struggle is what makes him ready.
“I feel like those moments especially are why I’ve become so just mentally strong and just strong overall,” he said. “I know it’s very tough to even get here. And in my situation, I felt like I didn’t belong here or belong in some rooms with guys like him or guys that I’m at the combine. I feel like those low points definitely helped me out. I learned so much through those processes, as well, and I came out stronger than ever.”
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