The Golden State Warriors front office clearly reads this blog, as the team followed our own Brady Klopfer’s advice and made the obvious pick, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg. He seemed overjoyed to be drafted by the Warriors, tearfully hugging his mom after the No. 11 pick was announced. Here’s what the 24-year-old forward had to say in his post-pick interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salter.
Humility
One of the first things a tearful, incredulous Lendeborg said was, “I don’t deserve to be here right now.” He gave his mother credit for his success, describing himself a “lost kid” who made it to the NBA draft thanks to a mother who “pushed a dream, forced me to go out there, step into the world and become a man. I had no choice but to go out there and do the best I could. So I vowed every day to be a better man, be a better person, and just do the best I could for her.”
Gratitude
Lendeborg’s mother is battling cancer, which might account for how emotional the newest Warrior was during the proceedings. When Salter asked about how special it was to have his mother present, Lendeborg responded:
“It means everything to me. That’s the least I could do for her. She’s done so much for me. She’s put her whole life on hold for my life. I’m super proud of her for fighting so hard and I’m glad we get to share this.”
Lendeborg’s mother, Yissel Raposo, was a professional basketball player in the Dominican Republic, as was his father, Okary Lendeborg. In February, Lendeborg published an essay in The Players Tribune titled “How My Mom Saved My Life” about his mother’s tough-love approach getting him back on track in high school.
He’s old for an NBA draft prospect, in part because his grades were so bad it kept him off his high school basketball team. But Lendeborg credits his mom for forcing him to make up classes, then attend basketball camps, then go to Arizona (from New Jersey) to play basketball at a community college. From there, he made to to Division I UAB, then to the champion Michigan Wolverines.
Lendeborg concluded, “I can do everything in my power to make sure my mom knows how much she means to me. I can make sure she understands that I’m so grateful for everything she’s done. And that all I’ve ever wanted was to be someone who my mom could be proud of, someone she is proud to call her son.”
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Did Lisa Salter ask him about Steve Kerr’s feelings about rookies, or playing with Steph Curry, or whether he’s learning to box to prepare for training camp with Draymond Green? No, she didn’t. But when a mother and a son are crying and hugging together, and the mom is undergoing cancer treatment, you can’t really blame Salter for focusing on the mother-son relationship.
What did we take away from the post-draft interview? One, it seems pretty clear that Lendeborg is a hard worker, having built himself from an afterthought as a high school player to a key member on a championship team. Plus, he has spent extended time in New Jersey, Yuma, and Birmingham, Alabama? He’s going to be so grateful to live in the Bay Area that he’ll probably work even harder.
All in all, we learned that Lendeborg really loves his mom. Honestly, that’s more encouraging to us than a guy who makes his bed every morning or is trying to learn to speak Mandarin, qualities the Warriors have overrated before. Good luck to Yaxel and especially good luck to his mom.
