Yaxel Lendeborg dropped an outrageous 37 points against the Clippers on Sunday, leading Golden State to a massive win, all while Stephen Curry and Draymond Green sat out. This rookie performance was beyond comprehension for many, proving his early season explosion is the real deal and making Dub Nation lose their collective minds.
A Rookie Performance for the History Books
What this guy has done in just his second week as a pro is insane. We’re talking about a stat line on Sunday that included 37 points in 34 minutes, shooting an incredible 68% from the field, and draining six 3-pointers. He also dished out six assists, pulled down four boards, and grabbed a steal just for fun. Seriously, who does that? This wasn’t some fluke either. Lendeborg is the only rookie in NBA history, besides Larry Bird, to log at least 100 points, 40 rebounds, and 20 assists through his first five games. Talk about elite company.
After his sixth career game, which he called a “huge letdown” against the Lakers (Luka Dončić gave him a proper hazing, as the source put it), Lendeborg got right back on the horse. His performance against the Clippers makes him only the fourth rookie in history to post 37 points and five assists in a single game with 85% true shooting. Those 37 points are the most by a Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry dropped 42 way back in 2010. On top of that, he is now just the third Warriors rookie ever to average over 20 PPG (22.3 to be exact) over the first seven games of his career, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry. I mean, come on, that is not bad company at all.
From Unanswered Prayers to Unquestionable Joy
Lendeborg himself said after the game, “That was a huge letdown last game. I just try not to be a letdown again, honestly. I know I’ve got to keep my confidence no matter what goes on, good or bad game. And I just got to start playing with the joy that I played with the last six years of college and now here. So I’m just continuing to try to keep playing with a smile on my face, maybe throw a little dance move like Steph every once in a while. But I’m gonna just keep trying to find my joy.”
Joy is an understatement. Dub Nation is absolutely flying right now. Remember all those fans who were praying to trade this summer’s No. 11 pick? Yeah, those “pissed-off prayers” clearly fell on Dunleavy’s deaf ears, and Warriors fans are now thanking the basketball gods for it. Watching Yaxel bury shot after shot, chewing the Clippers up like a total 1A alpha in his second week as a pro, has to have the Warriors front office questioning their plans for this season.
What does he do next? We’re all watching to see if he can keep this joy going, because right now, Yaxel Lendeborg is not just a rookie, he’s the player making everyone question what they thought they knew about the Warriors’ season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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