Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been one of the standout performers in this year’s iteration of the Las Vegas Summer League. While the 23-year-old forward has been solid throughout the tournament, his performance in the final round against Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies was particularly noteworthy.
The Golden State Warriors came out on top with a 94-90 victory to secure the Summer League title. However, this win was far more significant for Yaxel Lendeborg.
In a rematch against Cameron Boozer, the Warriors’ rookie finally got his revenge. During his postgame interview, he sent a strong message to the Grizzlies’ rookie as well as the officials. He shared:
“I think about [revenge] every time I play him. Every game we play, those refs are saving him… It is a competitive nature [with] everybody that gets drafted ahead of me.”
Lendeborg’s last meeting against Boozer ended on an unfavorable note as Michigan suffered a 68-63 loss to the Duke Blue Devils in February. Although Lendeborg had 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, Boozer went toe-to-toe with him, posting 18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks.
On Sunday night, Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals to embellish his performance. To that point, Boozer also had an impressive outing, as he notched 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Lendeborg’s claims of Boozer benefiting from officiating bias may have been slightly misplaced, since the Grizzlies’ forward shot only three free throws on Sunday night. However, if such an outlook serves as motivation, the Warriors may not see issues with it.
Yaxel Lendeborg Carves Out His Place In History
While securing the Summer League win for the Golden State Warriors is impressive enough, Yaxel Lendeborg also carved out his place in basketball history with Sunday night’s performance.
After winning the Las Vegas Summer League, Lendeborg became the second player in history to win the NCAA title and the Summer League title in the same year. The 23-year-old reacted to this achievement during his postgame interview, stating:
“It means the world to me. For me, it’s been such a struggle and just a tough six years to get to where I am now. This basketball journey has been short-lived, but it’s been very fun. So I’m very happy, and I’m blessed to be in the position that I am now. And I’m glad that I got to win this.”
“It means the world to me. Hopefully, I can continue to carry that with me and continue to keep that chip on my shoulder and show people that I belong here.”
Although Yaxel Lendeborg has positioned himself as a light-hearted personality with his comments about Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, his performances at the Summer League have showcased how impactful he can be for the Warriors. Given the team’s needs, the rookie possesses the skill set to shore up Golden State’s frontcourt rotation.
The Summer League has been immensely promising for Lendeborg, who averaged 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 45.9% from three-point range.
In light of these performances, Warriors fans have a lot to look forward to once the regular season begins.
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