The Golden State Warriors had a lot of hype and excitement surrounding their Friday 2026 NBA California Classic matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. The reason for that was the Warriors’ No. 11 pick, Yaxel Lendeborg, making his debut.
Much has been made of whether or not Lendeborg can play at the NBA level full-time, and the national champion passed the early test with flying colors. He made an immediate impact on both ends of the court, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds and six assists. He also went a perfect 6-of-6 from the field while knocking down 4-of-4 from three-point range in 22 minutes as the Warriors blew out the Lakers 104-72.
While Lendeborg lived up to his blockbuster billing, he pointed the finger at himself for ruining the perfect night with some repeated turnovers.
“It felt great, everything was going well until that 4th quarter where I got like 4 turnovers in a row so I kind of ruined the perfect game I had in my mind,” Lendeborg said. “But it felt really good to be out here, have a lot of fun, the team here is super unselfish so it’s really good playing with those guys.”
Lendeborg also gave himself a grade of a B. He was also mad at missing a few defensive rotations, but overall, he’s pleased with the way he shot the ball from deep.
That’s a fair assessment. He turned the ball over in his own half repeatedly, giving the Lakers easy transition opportunities that turned into easy fast-break points.
Yaxel Lendeborg proved he is NBA-ready in his debut
Yaxel Lendeborg got more and more comfortable as the game progressed. He took more liberties on the floor, shooting at will from deep and even getting into the paint.
The dynamic rookie was as advertised in his first game in Warriors colors, showing that he has bags of promise and the potential to be a starter. The 23-year-old already possesses several superb attributes that are ready-made and suited for the NBA.
It might be a compliment that Lendeborg has been compared to LeBron James as the “Dominican LeBron” so early in his NBA career. However, the former Michigan star is his own player who can do a little bit of everything.
The Golden State Warriors next face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at the Golden 1 Center, where Yaxel will look to follow up his impressive debut.
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