Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green has publicly criticized rookie Yaxel Lendeborg's attempt to recruit LeBron James to the team, calling the pitch "pointless."
Green shared his thoughts on Lendeborg's pitch during a recent episode of "The Draymond Green Show," addressing comments Lendeborg made during an appearance on Bleacher Report's "B/R at Summer League." Lendeborg had stated, "I know you don’t like rookies that much, but I’m not the average rookie. If you’re looking to play with the greatest shooter of all time, and Draymond, we’ll be glad to have you."
"I think the pitch is pointless. You know? But it’s fine; training camp is coming soon enough, and, you know, got to reign the rookie in a little bit, teach him a few things," Green said on his podcast, paraphrasing Lendeborg's message.
Green suggested that he intends to impart some lessons to the rookie during training camp, implying a need to establish the rookie's position within the team's hierarchy. "Training camp’s coming soon enough… And I think you all know why I’m hitting at training camp. And yeah, it’ll get here soon enough, Yax. Enjoy all your media," Green added.
The public exchange follows media attention Lendeborg has received since being drafted with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Lendeborg had previously commented that Green had "ghosted" him after the draft.
While Green dismissed Lendeborg's pitch as ineffective, noting that a rookie's opinion is unlikely to influence James's career decisions, the commentary occurred within a show segment and was described as harmless. There may also be an underlying collegiate rivalry at play, as Green played college ball at Michigan State, while Lendeborg comes from the University of Michigan, which recently won a national championship.
Despite the public criticism, both Green and Lendeborg reportedly share the goal of recruiting James to the Warriors.