Sports

Yaxel Lendeborg Proves Warriors Right With Immature Comments About Former School

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UAB basketball player Yaxel Lendeborg dribbles up the court.

© Chris Jones-Imagn Images


Yaxel Lendeborg will no longer rep UAB despite spending two seasons in Birmingham. He does not appreciate the way he was treated.

The rookie proved Golden State right with recent immature comments about the Blazers. The Warriors were hesitant to draft him due to his attitude. It seems that weariness was justified.

According to an ESPN story posted in July, Golden State’s front office told him he acted “like a jacka–” in a 2025 NBA Draft workout.

“I was like, I did that bad?” Lendeborg thought to himself. “But thinking back I guess my answers weren’t as professional. Just giving honest answers like, ‘Yeah, I’m BSing in practice. Yeah, I’m not doing my job in games, but I’m performing.’ I guess I didn’t really give out the good vibe.”

That tryout came after his second season at UAB in which he won a second straight AAC Defensive Player of the Year award. Lendeborg ultimately opted to return to college after the negative feedback. He transferred to Michigan where he won a national title.

Is Yaxel Lendeborg immature?

If you asked Golden State in 2025, they’d say yes. Kentucky coach Mark Pope probably would, too, after the forward went public with a supposed $9 million recruiting miss ahead of his final season.

Alabama’s Nate Oats was later pulled into the drama. The coach refuted a claim Lendeborg made about being overlooked by the Tide in the transfer portal. Even Dusty May called the accusation false.

“Nate and I being friends, we talked through that process. And don’t tell Yax, but they did try to recruit him.”

Lendeborg nearly flunked out of high school due to an affinity for video games. If forced him to JUCO before signing with UAB. His coach at Michigan, May, referred to him as a “class clown” during the NCAA Tournament.

Despite being one of the oldest players in college basketball, he continuously caught heat for his on- and off-court antics.

In the end, his talent outweighed the negative headlines. He won an NCAA title. He was then drafted by the team that called him immature, Golden State.

Unfortunately, he further proved their point in a recent gaming session.

No love for UAB.

Yaxel Lendeborg will not rep UAB gear despite spending more time in Birmingham than Ann Arbor. He does not like how he was treated.

“You know why,” he said to a question about the Blazers. “They didn’t treat me like I made history, so I’m not finna rep ‘em.

“You know what they did. After all that (I accomplished), they treated me like I didn’t do s— there.”

It’s unclear if he’s talking about the coaching staff, athletic department, or fanbase. Apparently, he felt disrespected in some capacity after transferring to Michigan.

He may or may not have a legitimate beef. I, admittedly, am not fully aware of the situation. I’m not sure what specific incidents he’s referencing.

With that said, it’s probably something that could’ve stayed in-house. His behavior continues to raise red flags.