Yaxel Lendeborg Credits Mom For Journey To NBA
Yaxel Lendeborg began his college career at Arizona Western College, a JUCO, and has now been drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors.
He credited his mother for supporting him throughout his unique path from Arizona Western to UAB, then Michigan, and ultimately to the NBA.
"She pretty much put me on this path. There was many times where I wanted to give up, and I wanted to quit, but I would always think, "How would my mom feel about this?” She always kept that extra chip on my shoulder and extra motivation."
The 6-foot-9 forward had success at every stop during his college journey. During his time in JUCO (2020-23), he was a 2X NJCAA All-American and 2X ACCAC Player of the Year. Then he transferred to Birmingham, Alabama, and played under Coach Andy Kennedy at UAB. Lendeborg thrived in the Blazers system, averaging a double-double over his two seasons there (2023-25), and was a 2X All-AAC selection and 2X AAC Defensive Player of the Year. For his last stop in college, he went out on top of the mountain at Michigan, winning the 2026 NCAA Tournament and being selected as a consensus All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year, while averaging 15.1 points per game.
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