Chosen by the Warriors as the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Yaxel Lendeborg has been busy acclimating to his new surroundings.
Lendeborg amusingly discovered that his locker is stationed right next to the legendary Steph Curry, a future Hall of Famer.
At his introductory press conference with the Warriors, Lendeborg quipped about his childhood disdain for Curry, admitting he was a huge fan of Kyrie Irving back then.
Upon seeing his locker, Lendeborg erupted in laughter, asking, “Did y’all assign this spot intentionally?”
Right after questioning the placement of his locker, Lendeborg joyfully approached it, thrilled at the opportunity to be close to one of the NBA’s all-time greatest shooters.
Filled with emotions, Lendeborg was told by someone in the group made up of Warriors officials and friends and family members of his and second-round pick Lajae Jones, “They say if you sit close to someone, their shooting skills will rub off on you.” To which Lendeborg jokingly replied and said, “I need that. I definitely need that.”
Regardless of how Lendeborg felt about Curry and the Warriors before, that all seems to be in the past. The young rookie was thrilled to see his locker, with his jersey hanging inside for the first time. He asked if he was allowed to hold it.
Standing in front of his locker with his jersey in his hands for the first time, Lendeborg was emotional and admitted he was about to cry again.
When Jones saw his locker for the first time, he was also in disbelief, as the two young stars realized their dreams were now reality.