Back in 2016, Yaxel Lendeborg was a big Kyrie Irving fan. Ten years later, the former Kyrie loyalist found himself walking into an NBA locker room alongside the player he once couldn’t stand. And somehow, that wasn’t even the most surprising part of his first few days in the league.

The 24-year-old rookie had already made a strong first impression for Golden State, but his biggest surprise had nothing to do with the speed of the NBA or the size of its stars. It was something much simpler: fighting for rebounds suddenly felt easier.

Speaking after Golden State’s 124-98 preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers on October 6, Lendeborg gave a surprisingly blunt explanation.

“I think it’s a lot easier to get rebounds here. In college, the paint was always packed and there’s always somebody coming out of nowhere to rebound. These guys, I feel they’re more lazy to get the rebounds.”

That is quite the observation for a rookie only days into his NBA preseason. But Lendeborg wasn’t throwing out a random insult. His own numbers suggested he had already noticed a real difference on the floor.

Lendeborg had just finished putting that theory into practice. He grabbed nine rebounds against the Lakers, including two offensive and seven defensive boards, while adding a game-high 17 points in 21 minutes. It was his second straight preseason game with nine rebounds after he had done the same against the Clippers two days earlier.

That matters because Lendeborg isn’t walking into Golden State as a rookie who suddenly discovered the glass. He averaged 6.8 rebounds for Michigan during its 2025-26 national championship season, after averaging 10.6 at UAB. Rebounding has been part of his game for years. What changed was the environment around him.

College basketball can feel crowded around the rim. Lendeborg spent his final college season at Michigan operating in a game where the shorter three-point line and different defensive rules could leave more bodies packed into the paint.

The NBA gives him a very different picture.

Modern offenses spread the floor with shooting and 5-out or spread pick-and-roll actions. Defenders are often stationed farther from the basket, while transition defense has become a major priority. Sending several players toward the offensive glass can leave a team exposed at the other end, so guards and wings are often expected to turn and sprint back instead.

For a player who spent years fighting through crowded lanes, that can look like somebody simply isn’t trying hard enough to get the rebound.

For Lendeborg, it has instead created space to attack.

Lendeborg certainly doesn’t sound worried about finding those opportunities. He has already predicted that nine-to-12-rebound nights could become normal for him, and his first two preseason appearances have backed up that confidence: nine rebounds against the Clippers, followed by another nine against the Lakers.

The bigger test, of course, will come when those open lanes stop being so open. Preseason gives a rookie room to experiment, while regular-season opponents have far more reason to study his tendencies and take away whatever is working. For now, though, Lendeborg has given Golden State something it can use immediately: a big, physical forward who already sees opportunities on the glass that others may be willing to leave behind.

There is, however, one part of NBA life where Lendeborg hasn’t quite developed the same level of confidence yet.

The rookie who has no problem telling NBA players they could do more on the glass is still a little nervous about talking to the two veterans sitting beside him.

And that is where the story gets much more interesting.

After his preseason debut against the Clippers, Lendeborg reached out to both Curry and Draymond Green for advice.

“After last game I texted Steph and Draymond both you know, just to ask for some advice and some guidance after the first game,” Lendeborg said. “I’m still kind of a little scared to talk with these guys sometimes, because of who they are.”

That might sound surprising coming from someone who had just spent the previous few days confidently evaluating NBA rebounding. But there is a difference between seeing a weakness on the floor and walking up to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green for advice.

Curry and Draymond Already Have a Message for Lendeborg

Green’s message was about making Lendeborg smarter away from the ball.

“Draymond was speaking about, you know, my smarts. I have to get a little smarter on the defensive side. You know, just figure out more rotations and all that stuff.”

Curry’s advice was different. He wanted the rookie to stop worrying about the mistakes that come with being a rookie.

“And then Steph’s (advice) is more like, being able to play through the mistakes. Having the confidence to actually go through those and not shy away from those moments.”

That advice lines up with what Steve Kerr has already seen from Lendeborg. After the Clippers game, Kerr called out the rookie for passing up a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound, a mistake that led to a Clippers three-pointer.

“Yaxel’s good, but we need him to be more aggressive. There was a really key play in the second half where he has the ball underneath the basket and turns it over trying to throw it to Charles [Bassey], and they hit a three at the other end. That’s gotta be a layup.”

Kerr wasn’t simply asking Lendeborg to clean up mistakes. He also sees a player who can carry a much bigger offensive load.

“We need Yaxel to have an aggressive scoring mentality, and that’s something we’re gonna look at, because he can make plays and he can score. He’s capable of being the lead offensive threat when Steph is not on the floor.”

That changes the question around Lendeborg. He isn’t simply trying to find a way onto the floor. Golden State is already asking how much responsibility it can eventually put on him.

That confidence didn’t appear overnight.

Lendeborg went from an unranked high school recruit who received no major Division I offers to a two-time NJCAA All-American at Arizona Western. After a brief stop at St. John’s, he built himself into a two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year at UAB.

Then came Michigan.

In 2025-26, he averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.2% from three. He helped Michigan win the national championship, earned Big Ten Player of the Year and Consensus First-Team All-American honors, and finished the season having recorded 603 points, 271 rebounds, 129 assists, 49 blocks and 45 steals.

So when Lendeborg talks about reading a basketball court, there is a fairly long résumé behind the confidence.

There is also a funny reason Lendeborg’s nerves around Curry feel a little more complicated than the usual rookie-meets-superstar story.

He wasn’t always a Curry fan.

On draft night, Lendeborg admitted that his basketball loyalty once belonged firmly to Kyrie Irving.

“It’s a full-circle moment for me. In 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry.”

Then reality caught up with him.

“So, now that I’m actually going to be on the same team as him, play and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot. I met him a couple times. He’s a very great guy, genuine person. And it’s gonna be an honor to be able to watch him do what he does in person. So, I’m very excited.”

Curry, of course, saw the comment and decided not to let his new teammate off that easily.

“Let’s go! Welcome to the Bay! I’m going to work hard to be your new favorite player 😂”

Lendeborg had a simple response:

“@stephencurry30 man😂😂 we all good man”

That exchange was funny in June. A few months later, it looks even better in hindsight. The rookie who once preferred Kyrie is now texting Curry for advice, admitting he is still nervous talking to him and then taking that advice onto the court.

There was even a version of this story in which Lendeborg could have ended up with Kyrie instead. He had publicly hoped Dallas would take him at No. 9, only for the Mavericks to select his Michigan teammate Morez Johnson Jr. Golden State then took Lendeborg at No. 11.

Instead of joining the player he once idolized, Lendeborg landed next to the player he once admitted he hated.

And now he’s asking that player for advice.

For all the talk about Lendeborg’s confidence, his rookie story may actually be more interesting because of the things he hasn’t figured out yet.

He knows how to find rebounds. He knows how to score. He knows what he sees when NBA players leave space around the basket. What he is still learning is how to make the most of that confidence while playing alongside players he once watched from a distance.

Draymond wants him to understand the defense. Curry wants him to play through the mistakes. Kerr wants him to be more aggressive.

And Lendeborg? He is already willing to tell NBA players they should rebound harder.

Now comes the harder part: proving he can keep finding those rebounds once the games start counting, while becoming comfortable enough to stop feeling like the rookie standing next to his childhood heroes.