In Yaxel Lendeborg, the Golden State Warriors may have finally found the young star they can have Stephen Curry pass the torch to for when his NBA career comes to an end. Lendeborg has been brilliant to start his NBA career, and he only seems to be getting better with each passing game. On Monday, the Warriors blew out the Denver Nuggets, 131-111, for their first win of the season — and Lendeborg looked like a 10-year veteran star while carving up the opposition.
Lendeborg led all scorers on the night with 31 points, which is no mean feat in a game with Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray playing in it. He added 12 rebounds, six assists, and one block as well, and he imposed his will — making 9-of-19 from the field and 12-of-13 from the foul line to make up for a 1-of-8 shooting display from beyond the arc.
What impressed Curry the most with this performance from the Warriors rookie is how composed he looked in the process of putting up a career-best outing.
“His composure [has been the most impressive thing about him],” Curry told NBC's Robbie Hummel in his postgame interview, via Oh No He Didn't on X. “He's just got composure and feel. He's a matchup problem, but he's never really in a hurry. And he's starting to see the pictures really well.”
“Kind of the full package. We want him to continue to play aggressive.”
Article Continues BelowSteph on Yaxel:
"He's just got composure and feel. He's a matchup problem, but he's never really in a hurry. Kind of the full package" pic.twitter.com/qa9Hk3X50Y
— Oh No He Didn't 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 27, 2026
Lendeborg is the ultimate competitor, never backing down regardless of who is in front of him. He may have caught some flak for talking trash to Luka Doncic in his first-ever official NBA game, but that just shows how fearless he is and how nothing feels too big for the rookie.
The Warriors will need more of this kind of performance from Lendeborg moving forward, and at the rate he's growing as a pro, no one should be shocked if he keeps this up.