DENVER — Golden State Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg produced a historic performance Monday night, scoring 31 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists to lead Golden State to a 134-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The win was the first of the regular season for the Warriors, who improved to 1-3 behind the breakout showing from their first-round draft selection. Lendeborg’s stat line made him the first Golden State newcomer to post at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a contest since Stephen Curry did so in February 2010, according to The Sporting News and HITC.
Rarified air in the record books
Through his first four regular-season appearances, Lendeborg has compiled 87 total points, the second-highest tally by any Warriors rookie across that span, Sports Illustrated reported. With four consecutive double-digit scoring outings, he also became the franchise’s first rookie to open a career with four straight games of 10 or more points since Chris Webber in 1993, according to the New York Post.
Research highlighted by Associated Press writer Josh Dubow revealed that since the 1985-86 season, Lendeborg is one of just four players to log at least 85 points and 35 rebounds in their opening four career games, putting him alongside Kevin Durant and three Hall of Fame centers. Across his first four outings, Lendeborg is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. No rookie in NBA history has matched those three averages over their initial four games since 1960, The Sporting News reported.
Overcoming early doubts
Despite his rapid rise, Lendeborg admitted following the game that he arrived in the league with substantial nervousness.
“I definitely thought I was gonna wet the bed,” Lendeborg said during an appearance on Peacock, as reported by the New York Post. “Definitely didn’t have the best hopes for what I was gonna do.”
Lendeborg’s path to the NBA was untraditional. He began his collegiate career playing junior college basketball at Arizona Western College before spending time at UAB. He then transferred to Michigan, where he won a national championship last season after expanding his range beyond the 3-point arc. Golden State selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft at age 23, and he recently celebrated his 24th birthday.
His turnaround gained momentum after a quiet preseason opener in Hawaii against the Los Angeles Clippers, where he scored four points. Lendeborg sought counsel afterward from veteran teammates Curry and Draymond Green.
“They told me, just try to be confident, be aggressive and play through the mistakes,” Lendeborg said, according to the New York Post. “And they pretty much just gave me free roam.”
What comes next for Golden State
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praised Lendeborg’s ability to command Monday’s contest while acknowledging the rookie still has plenty to absorb, particularly regarding defensive rotations.
“I think that’s the exciting part – where this can go,” Kerr said, as quoted by the New York Post. “Because there’s still probably 10 plays that I can pull up on tape, either mistakes defensively or offensively not recognizing something that he needs to recognize. Despite all that, he just dominated the game and took over.”
As opposing scouting reports adjust to his perimeter shooting and passing ability, Lendeborg will face the challenge of maintaining his scoring and rebounding production across an 82-game schedule.
