Yaxel Talks Steph Curry, NBA All-Star Goals and More in New Video Amid Rookie Season with Warriors

Yaxel Lendeborg says his goal for his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors is to earn an All-Star nod while helping spark another dominant season from Stephen Curry.

"Steph, he's old, he's grandpa-aged," Lendeborg joked in an interview with Taylor Rooks aired Friday on NBA on Prime. "So, I try my best to not let those last years go to waste, like everybody's saying. I want the best for him, because he's done so much for the Warriors, and I feel like I owe a lot to the Warriors."

Lendeborg continued, "I want to be somebody who brought life back into him. I want to be the guy that shifts that mindset, actually gives the Warriors a better shot than they've had the last couple of years. Just the spark plug, the young guy who comes in and changes the whole persona of the team."

Lendeborg is the only member of the Warriors who has started every game of the team's 8-4 run to open the season. He ranks second only to Curry for the team scoring lead with 21.7 points per game and has been regularly tasked with defensive matchups ranging from Victor Wembanyama to Kevin Durant.

The 24-year-old told Rooks he was expecting to serve as more of role player when the Warriors first selected him out of Michigan with the No. 11 pick out of the 2026 draft.

"When I first got drafted, I just expected to be a guy that sits in the corner, waits for a shot. Maybe I'm just, like, seven points a game," Lendeborg said. "Now I somewhat became the second option on offense, and that's definitely something I never thought would happen in the NBA."

Lendeborg is now an early favorite for the 2027 Rookie of the Year award, although he told Rooks he felt detractors would criticize him whether he won or loss because of his age.

"The award would be nice, but I'm trying to be an All-Star this year," Lendeborg told Rooks.

The Warriors are ranked sixth in the Western Conference heading into a Friday night NBA Cup matchup against Wembanyama and the Spurs. Lendeborg will look to continue making his case for an All-Star bid while helping keep his new team in playoff contention as Jimmy Butler works on returning from his knee injury.