The Golden State Warriors used the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to select Yaxel Lendeborg, and he will now play alongside Stephen Curry.
However, the rookie made a surprising confession on draft night, revealing that he once hated the Warriors’ superstar, which sparked a wave of reactions across social media.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s Honest Take on Stephen Curry Draws Strong Reactions
The rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Warriors reached its height during the 2016 NBA Finals. After building a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead, the Warriors watched the Cavaliers storm back with three straight wins, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome such a deficit.
Game 7 delivered two of the most memorable moments in NBA history. First came LeBron James’ iconic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala, followed by Kyrie Irving’s three-pointer over Curry. Those plays helped seal Cleveland’s win and secure the franchise’s first NBA championship.
At the time, Lendeborg was firmly rooting for Irving and the Cavaliers.
That admiration for Irving even led Lendeborg to dislike Curry back then, and the rookie openly admitted that after being selected by the Warriors to join Curry for the upcoming season.
“It’s a full-circle moment for me,” Lendeborg said. “In 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry.”
Lendeborg’s honest confession immediately earned some interesting reactions online.
“Draymond (Green) about to knock him out,” a user wrote.
Draymond about to knock him out 😭😭😭😭
— Jay (@Jayy_Hardyy252) June 24, 2026
“Nice bait for engagement,” another remarked, posting the entire transcript from Lendeborg’s press conference.
Full quote btw. Nice bait for engagement😒😒😒 pic.twitter.com/jl8wwFq2aO
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) June 24, 2026
“LOL Shoulda kept this to himself,” Warriors World’s X posted.
Lendeborg also took a playful jab at Draymond Green as well.
As a former Michigan Wolverine, Lendeborg joked that he was never particularly fond of Green because of his ties to Michigan State, one of Michigan’s biggest rivals.
Both comments were made in good fun, but some users felt the Curry admission was rather unusual.
“Our MyTeam legend got zero PR training,” one said.
Our MyTeam legend got zero PR training 😭 https://t.co/FUs2lSJnu3
— ໊ (@Curr) June 24, 2026
“Saying this on draft night about your franchise player is insane, yaxel is such a troll,” a user wrote.
Lendeborg’s path to becoming the No. 11 overall pick was nothing short of remarkable.
After high school, the 6-foot-9 forward was working in a warehouse and had no intention of attending college. However, it was his mother who encouraged him to continue pursuing basketball, and the decision ultimately led him to the NBA and the Warriors.
Last season at Michigan, Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds while helping the Wolverines win their first national championship since 1989.
He now joins a Warriors team that has missed the playoffs twice in the past three seasons and could contribute immediately while also developing into a key piece of the franchise’s future beyond the Curry and Green era.
