Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green appears to be fed up with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg’s media tour since being taken with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Green conveyed this when speaking about Lendeborg’s recent recruiting pitch to LeBron James during a Thursday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show”.
“[Lendeborg] said, ‘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.’ Is the pitch too weak, or too strong? I don’t know,” Green said during his podcast, paraphrasing the pitch Lendeborg made to LeBron during a June 12 appearance on Bleacher Report’s “B/R at Summer League” show.
“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 added.
“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.”
The four-time All-Star seems to be suggesting that he’ll be giving Lendeborg a tough time during training camp, perhaps as a way to remind him where his place on the Warriors’ totem pole is at this point in his career.
All the media attention the former Michigan Wolverine has received since being drafted has sparked several viral comments, including Lendeborg asserting that Green ghosted him after the NBA Draft.
Green is probably right in saying that Lendeborg’s pitch to LeBron is “pointless,” if only because LeBron isn’t going to weigh anything a rookie says about where he should sign to end his career.
Then again, Lendeborg’s harmless pitch was part of a show segment, so there’s really no reason to come down too harshly on him for it.
Maybe a bit of the vitriol between the new teammates stems from their natural rivalry. The veteran Green played college ball at Michigan State as a Spartan. Meanwhile, Lendeborg is coming off a national championship with the Wolverines.
But if there is one thing Green and Lendeborg can agree on, it’s that they want LeBron to choose the Warriors.
