Yaxel Lendeborg Says Warriors Told Him He Acted Like 'Jackass' in Interview Before 2025 NBA Draft

The Golden State Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft despite not making a positive first impression on the organization one year earlier.

Speaking to ESPN's Anthony Slater, Lendeborg recalled a meeting with the Warriors prior to the 2025 draft before he ultimately decided to return to college for the 2025-26 season.

Lendeborg noted that the Warriors told him he was acting "like a jackass" during the interview. Lendeborg added, "I was like, damn, I did that bad? 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."

Rather than officially entering the 2025 draft, Lendeborg went back to school and transferred from UAB to Michigan.

That proved to be a great decision, as the talented forward was named Big Ten Player of the Year and led the Wolverines to a national championship in his only season at the school.

After averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 three-pointers made, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc, Lendeborg entered the 2026 pre-draft process.

The second meeting with the Warriors went much differently, as Lendeborg believes he connected strongly with head coach Steve Kerr.

"I mean, I pretty much gave all the right answers," Lendeborg said. "Then he asked me what are things that they need to improve on this year, and I gave him exactly what he was thinking. So I kind of read his mind in a way. And I mean, I feel like that gave me a little bit of an edge. I won him over."

Lendeborg credited taking practice more seriously, watching more film and improved sleeping habits with helping to take him to the next level last season at Michigan.

Now, the 23-year-old will be expected to step in and make an instant impact for a Warriors team that didn't make any other substantial offseason moves aside from keeping its own core in place.

Lendeborg will join forces with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Co., as the Warriors attempt to make at least one more run at a championship.

It didn't take Lendeborg long to show that he is capable of excelling at the NBA level, as he led the Warriors to the NBA Summer League title, and was named MVP of both the Summer League title game and the Summer League as a whole.