Yaxel Lendeborg hasn’t been in the NBA long. He hasn’t even played in a regular-season game yet. But that’s because the Golden State Warriors just made him the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23.
Lendeborg has, however, made his Summer League debut. While in Vegas, the newest Warriors rookie also became the latest to make his free agency pitch to LeBron James.
Lendeborg Leans on Curry, Draymond for James Pitch
Lendeborg kept things pretty simple. Unlike the many veterans who can lean upon their personal experience competing with or against James, the first-year player turned to his teammates for his recruitment pitch.
Instead of evoking some bold or preposterous statement, Lendeborg simply reminded James of the All-Star core that Golden State can offer.
“My pitch is, I know you don’t like rookies that much, but I’m not the average rookie,” Lendeborg said. “I would love to learn under you. If you’re looking to play with the greatest shooter of all time and a close friend of yours, Draymond, it would be great for you to come to the Warriors, and we’d be glad to have you.”
“My pitch is man, I know you don’t like rookies that much, but I’m not the average rookie and I would love to learn under you. So if you’re looking to play with the greatest shooter of all time and a close friend of yours, Draymond, it would be great to come to the Warriors and… https://t.co/KX5bQd03MA
— Chef (@CurryForGame) July 12, 2026
James didn’t have any issues playing with rookie Bronny James two seasons ago. Jokes about rookies aside, James’ decision likely won’t hinge on which rookies a team has in a featured role.
Of course, the 6-foot-9 forward would likely see fewer minutes should the NBA’s all-time points leader land with the Warriors. Yet, Lendeborg doesn’t seem to care about that. The opportunity to learn from a basketball icon like James is too good to pass up.
The 23-year-old Puerto Rican native realizes that adding James exponentially increases the Warriors’ chances of winning an NBA Finals trophy. Not to mention, all the wisdom the 23-year veteran could impart to Lendeborg is invaluable. Those are lessons that could pay dividends not just throughout the season, but for many years to come.
In essence, we can’t imagine any player not wanting James to join the crew, where it’d be like having a coach on the floor, while also playing basketball at a high level.
The opportunity to play alongside one of the NBA’s greatest is one that won’t be forgotten, and a tale that could be shared for generations to come. Of course, Lendeborg wants that for himself, too.
Even if James decides to sign elsewhere, for Lendeborg, getting to play alongside the “greatest shooter of all time” plus Green is a pretty good consolation prize.
