Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been candid in recent media appearances about his past feelings toward teammate Steph Curry and his outlook on playing time under coach Steve Kerr.
During his introductory press conference Tuesday, Lendeborg revealed he grew up disliking Curry due to his allegiance to former Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving. "It's a full-circle moment for me," Lendeborg said. "I've been saying this every time I get asked this question. In 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry."
He added that playing alongside Curry and learning from him is a significant opportunity. "So now that I’m actually going to be on the same team as him, play and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot," Lendeborg stated. "I’ve met him a couple of times; he’s a very great guy, genuine person, and it’s going to be an honor to watch him do what he does in person. I’m very excited."
The past animosity likely stemmed from the intense NBA Finals rivalry between the Warriors and the Cavaliers from 2015 to 2017, during which Irving, a key player for Cleveland, faced Curry's Warriors three consecutive times, losing twice.
Lendeborg also addressed his expectations regarding playing time under Kerr, who has a history of limiting minutes for rookies. "He doesn’t normally play rookies as much; he has a history of that," Lendeborg admitted Friday. "But the way the team is looking right now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, maybe even start."
This perspective comes as the Warriors have struggled to maintain their previous dominance. Since their last championship in the 2021-2022 season, Golden State has finished in the lower half of the Western Conference standings and recently experienced its first losing season since 2019-2020.
Despite acknowledging Kerr's coaching reputation, Lendeborg expressed a desire to earn his trust. "I know he’s a Hall of Fame coach... He just knows so much of the game, so I feel like the impression I just wanna leave on him is someone who’s willing to learn, someone who’s going to value his core values and play values," Lendeborg said. "So, I mean, just do the best I can to get under his good side as easy or as quick as possible, to see if I get some extra playing time from it."