LAS VEGAS — Yaxel Lendeborg has had a wild few months. He led Michigan to a national title over UConn. He went through the draft combine. He met with a handful of teams. Then the Warriors grabbed him with the 11th pick, which means he now shares a locker room with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and reports to Steve Kerr every day. No big deal.
But before he hits the floor for real, Lendeborg had to sit through the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program. It’s a mandatory series of seminars the league runs every summer with the NBPA. And while some rookies might treat it as a checkbox, Lendeborg came away with one thing that genuinely shook him: how easy it is for someone to dig into your personal data.
“I didn’t know it was that easy to access your stuff so it was kind of eye-opening to me,” Lendeborg told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “Just access to who we are.”
The program covers a lot. Trust issues. Finances. Gambling. Relationships with coaches and referees. Building a brand without accidentally torching it. Lendeborg said the section on trust stuck with him the most. The idea that a random cousin could text asking if you’re playing tonight — and if you say no, that alone could influence a bet and spiral into something ugly — made him rethink how he communicates.
“Limiting what you say to other people and blocking contacts, just trying to eliminate all the distractions,” he said.
This is the part of rookie life nobody talks about. You get drafted, you get a contract, and suddenly everybody wants something from you. Lendeborg seems aware of that. He talked about the importance of building a brand that “can’t be diminished by something so simple, so small.” That’s a mature take for a 23-year-old who just got his first real paycheck.
Chris Bosh was one of the former players on hand to volunteer. Lendeborg said it was surreal hearing from guys he watched on TV growing up. “You know what’s real and what’s not,” he said.
Playing in the Bay Area comes with its own set of challenges. San Francisco is expensive. Lendeborg said figuring out where to invest and where not to invest is something he’s trying to get a handle on. This is the first time he’s had real money. He put it bluntly: “Just figuring out how to not blow it and act dumb.”
He’s also talked to Curry and Green a couple of times already. Asked about navigating the rookie year, about staying in the league as long as they have. Lendeborg said it still hasn’t totally sunk in. “Man, I’m really here with these guys and this is insane, you know?”
Summer League is his next test. He’s using it to shake off the nerves and get comfortable before the real season starts. He described himself as a “do it all” type guy who wants to fill the stat sheet. Whether he can carve out a role on a team chasing one more ring with its Hall of Famers is the question.
But for now, Lendeborg is just trying to enjoy it. He said the whole thing feels unreal, like a dream. His mom’s dream first, then his. Watching her see the payoff has been the best part.
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