Curry Welcomes No. 1 Pick Lendeborg After 2016 Finals 'Hate' Admission

Q: Can a rookie who once 'hated' Steph Curry be the key to his final championship window?

Yes—but only as a complementary piece, not a savior. Yaxel Lendeborg fits what Golden State needs in Stephen Curry’s late-career window: a mature, NBA-ready forward who can help quickly. At 23, 6-foot-9 and 241 pounds, he was drafted 11th largely because the Warriors need immediate contributors around an aging, injury-hit core. General manager Mike Dunleavy pointed to his ability to guard multiple positions, handle the ball, pass, and make defensive plays—traits that matter more than raw scoring on a team built around Curry. That makes Lendeborg relevant to Curry’s final title push. The Warriors are old and fragile, with Curry at 38, Draymond Green 36, Jimmy Butler 36 and recovering from a torn ACL, and Al Horford 40. Golden State does not need a rookie to become a star overnight; it needs someone who can survive playoff matchups, defend in space, rebound, and keep the offense moving. Lendeborg’s college résumé—Big Ten Player of the Year, 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and a national title at Michigan—suggests he may be able to fill that role faster than a typical rookie. Still, calling him the key would be too strong. Curry’s championship window will depend more on the health of the veteran core, roster upgrades, and organizational stability. Lendeborg can help extend that window if he becomes a reliable two-way rotation player immediately. That may be exactly why Golden State drafted him.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports Bay Area · Jun 25

Steph Curry replied on Instagram within hours of the Warriors drafting Yaxel Lendeborg, joking, “I’m going to work hard to be your new favorite player.”
Lendeborg had said at his post-draft news conference that he used to hate Curry because he grew up a Kyrie Irving fan during the 2016 NBA Finals rivalry.
That tension had already eased before draft night: Lendeborg met Curry at a Warriors play-in game against the Clippers in April and spoke with him again during a pre-draft workout.
Curry’s lighthearted response quickly reframed the old rivalry as a mentorship storyline as Lendeborg joins Golden State.