Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is trading shots with superstars and speaking his mind, and he's already the NBA season's best character.
Two weeks into the NBA season, the loudest rookie voice belongs to Golden State's Yaxel Lendeborg. The 24-year-old Puerto Rican forward has picked fights with superstars, delivered unfiltered opinions to reporters and pulled the spotlight away from a far more polished rookie class.
His backstory helps explain the energy. Lendeborg has said he used to game for 12 to 14 hours a day, and he didn't play for his high school team until he was an upperclassman. He has also admitted he barely watched the NBA before getting there. His college résumé was strong enough to earn a place in the league, but he arrives with the outlook of a fan who found the game late and is thrilled to be in it.
That makes him a fascinating fit in the Bay. The Warriors are stuck between the fading glow of their 2010s dynasty and whatever comes next. Last season they showed flashes of their old brilliance, won one play-in game, then fell in the next. That wasted another year of Stephen Curry, who is still playing wonderfully at 38. Lendeborg may be the best chance in years to help Golden State get the most out of what Curry has left.
Whether he wins Rookie of the Year is a question for later in the season. For now, his confidence, humor and refusal to be intimidated are the story. In a league where plenty of players sound scripted, a rookie with no media-training polish is a welcome change.
