Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has made a choice between all-time great and childhood idol Michael Jordan and his superstar teammate Stephen Curry.
Yaxel Lendeborg revealed during a Kick live stream that he is taking down his Michael Jordan poster to replace it with one of teammate Stephen Curry, declaring Curry his new “GOAT.”
Pointing to a framed poster of Jordan’s iconic 1998 NBA Finals shot in the background of his streaming setup, the 24-year-old rookie told viewers he plans to swap it out for Curry, whom he affectionately called his “real GOAT” and “glorious king”.
“You all see the GOAT over there? I’m going to change it to a Steph Curry poster, guys, don’t worry,” Lendeborg said. “My real GOAT. My glorious King. My one and only.”
It was a huge change of heart for the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, who openly admitted upon joining Golden State in June that he used to dislike Curry because he was a massive Kyrie Irving fan.
However, playing alongside the 38-year-old superstar during the Warriors’ hot start to the season has completely won Lendeborg over, turning a former skeptic into one of Curry’s biggest admirers.
Yaxel Lendeborg Is Stephen Curry’s Best Teammate, According To Warriors Legend
Golden State Warriors legend Chris Mullin praised Lendeborg’s phenomenal start to the 2026-2027 NBA season, calling him an early Rookie of the Year favorite, a potential All-Star candidate, and a perennial All-NBA performer.
Mullin noted that Lendeborg has changed the trajectory of the Warriors’ early season, especially while key players like Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody started the year on the injured list.
“He’s changed, I think, the trajectory of this team already,” Mullin said. “Coming into the season, I think that with Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody starting on the injured list, the plan was just to tread water till they get back and hang around. But all of a sudden, with Yaxel playing at such a high level, I think the narrative has changed a little bit.”
Through his first 11 games of the season, Lendeborg is averaging 21.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
Curry and Lendeborg have quickly emerged as one of the league’s top-scoring duos, combining for over 52 points per game in the first 11 games of the season.
Curry Impressed With Warriors Rookie Lendeborg
Stephen Curry has been praising Yaxel Lendeborg since the start of the season, lauding his maturity and pace.
“He’s just got composure and feel. He’s a matchup problem, but he’s never really in a hurry,” Curry said. “Kind of the full package.”
Lendeborg, on the other hand, is soaking up all the lessons in playing alongside Curry.
“Honestly, besides all the movement, moving stuff that he does, now that I’m watching it firsthand, like he’s really getting grabbed and held every single play, like no freedom of movement,” Lendeborg said in his interview with Kevin O’Connor.
“And it’s like, I think that’s kind of why he has to run away. Like he’s essentially getting away. Like he’s being chased around all day. So I mean, that’s where all that stamina comes from and all those practice reps of him just running around screens and looking crazy. But it’s like, it’s really needed for him to be able to get the ball, get open looks. I mean, that’s something I’ve understood right away.”
With their awesome start to the season, the Warriors’ Curry-Lendeborg partnership should continue to be a potent duo moving forward.
Warriors Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg Chooses Between Michael Jordan And Steph Curry