New Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg has nothing but love for his former Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May. Following the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, Lendeborg talked about his initial reaction to the news of May’s ascent to the NBA as the Dallas Mavericks head coach after a short but successful stint in Ann Arbor.
“Man, I was shocked. I was driving at the time, and I’m just like, I think I screamed right away like, ‘No way. What happened,’ you know?” Lendeborg said (h/t Zach Gelb of Compass Media).
“But, you know, he’s a great coach. He’s going to be a Hall of Fame coach anywhere he goes. I definitely believe that. So I’m excited for him, you know? Definitely was shocked. Could have fell to my knees if I wasn’t driving, but it was definitely shocking.”
The 23-year-old Lendeborg also joked about getting passed on at the No. 9 spot by May and the Mavericks, who went with another Michigan player, Morez Johnson Jr., instead.
“I’m definitely mad at Dusty right now because, you know, we know who his favorite is now, you know?” Lendeborg said.
“But I’m happy that it was Morez. I’m super happy for Morez. He definitely deserves it and he’s going to be a great pro for sure.”
Although they are no longer on the same team, Lendeborg and May will often cross paths, now that they’re both in the NBA and in the same conference.
Apart from Johnson and Lendeborg, Aday Mara was the other Michigan product who was called in the first round, with the big man going to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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