Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr responded to Draymond Green calling rookie Yaxel Lendeborg the future face of the franchise. Before Lendeborg's official NBA debut with the Warriors, Kerr had nothing but good things to say about the 11th overall pick in this year's draft.
However, projecting Lendeborg to be the future of the Warriors is a heavy crown for a rookie to wear ahead of his debut, Kerr explained, per ClutchPoints' Kenzo Fukuda.
“That's a lot to put on a young guy who hasn't played a game yet. So that's the last thing I'm thinking about,” Kerr said. “But I know that he's ready to play and contribute and be one of our best players. It's obvious. And I know he's a great young guy, [who's] really coachable, wants to win, and has already won at a really high level at Michigan. So, he knows what it takes and what winning means. So, he's done everything right, but he's got a lot of growing pains ahead. And we've gotta help him work through that.”
Article Continues BelowWarriors head coach Steve Kerr, when asked about Draymond Green describing Yaxel Lendeborg as a potential face of the franchise kind of player:
"That's a lot to put on a young guy who hasn't played a game yet. So that's the last thing I'm thinking about. But I know that he's… https://t.co/yDWUTqAyzg pic.twitter.com/u7XhFYZfMy
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 21, 2026
Steve Kerr and the Warriors will begin the regular season on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, where Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg will make his NBA debut. Lendeborg helped lead Michigan to an NCAA national championship in 2026 before joining Golden State.
Lendeborg finished with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including two triples, five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one block in the Warriors' 128-118 win against the Portland Blazers in their preseason finale.