Stephen Curry's Legacy Lives On as Warriors Rookie Drops Bold Quote
Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg made it clear the group isn't satisfied just getting to the Summer League championship game. The Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-88 in Saturday's semifinal, avenging the only loss of their summer to reach the championship game.
What happened?
Lendeborg spoke about Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as part of a standard this group now feels responsible for carrying forward. "That's what we do, man. We're the Warriors. You know what I'm saying? So, we're gonna go out there, try to win it, and try to start a new legacy, man. Keep Curry's years alive and Draymond's years alive, and bring it into next season. You know what I'm saying? Go Warriors!" Lendeborg said.
Why it matters for Stephen Curry
Lendeborg's message went beyond confidence before a championship game. He spoke about Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as part of a standard this group now feels responsible for carrying forward. That kind of language from an 11th overall pick, barely a few weeks into his professional career, says something about how quickly he has absorbed the franchise's expectations.
What comes next?
A win Sunday would end the Warriors' decade-old drought in the Las Vegas Summer League. Lendeborg has been one of the genuine breakout stories of this year's Summer League. He opened his Golden State career with a near-perfect shooting night for 19 points in a blowout win over the Lakers back at the California Classic, then carried that momentum into Las Vegas. Across four group-stage games, Lendeborg averaged better than 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, production that reflects exactly the two-way versatility the Warriors targeted when they drafted him.
Golden State hasn't won a Las Vegas Summer League championship since 2013, when Draymond Green was still working through his rookie years on the roster and Ian Clark took home championship game MVP honors. A win Sunday would give the Warriors their first Summer League title in over a decade, a small trophy in the grand scheme of things, but a meaningful one for a rookie class trying to set an early tone.
Yaxel Lendeborg isn't treating this like just another summer showcase. He's talking about legacy, about living up to what the Warriors have built, and about not settling for a runner-up finish. Talk is easy in July. But for a rookie already thinking about what it means to we
category: player_focus