Yaxel Lendeborg Refusing To Ever Go Through Media Training While Also Saving The Warriors Future At The Same Time Is A Win/Win For Everyone
Ezra Shaw. Getty Images.If you weren't too familiar with Yaxel Lendeborg while he was in college, it didn't take long for you to get an idea of just how much of a quote machine he happens to be. Literally within his first moments as a Warrior, Yaxel wasted no time talking about how he used to hate Steph Curry while also calling the team trash and that Steve Kerr was going to have no choice but to play him, even though historically he didn't exactly love playing rookies
and right away it was clear that there was not a PR trained bone in his body. As it turns out, he was right about Steve Kerr given the fact that Yaxel was named a starter on Day 1, but things didn't stop there. Months before we got to the actual season, Yaxel was already taking shots at Dillon Brooks
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Random? Sure. Hilarious? Absolutely.
When we actually got to the NBA season, absolutely nothing changed. Yaxel began his career going after Luka Doncic and basically calling him a bitch for the way he complains and cries during games (true statement)
and in a world where players almost always give PR answers and don't really talk shit, I think most will agree that the Yaxel Lendeborg experience is a welcome addition to the league.
And here's maybe the best part of all. He's really really really fucking good!
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I know we're still very early in the NBA season, but I do not think it's too early to suggest that Yaxel may have saved the final years of the Steph Curry Era. It at least injected some legit life back into it as Steph plays out his final seasons. He appears to be the perfect running mate for Steph, and for a team that didn't really have the best looking future, considering how good Yaxel already is, I'd say that changes their outlook a little bit as well.
And the best part? Yaxel made it 10000% clear that he will never do any sort of media training
“I’m not doing that, man. I’m going to stay true to myself, and be honest. I’ve seen plenty of interviews where people are talking and it’s like, ‘Man, I don’t want to watch this,’ you know what I mean? And it’s not like I’m click-baiting or click-farming or whatever the heck people are saying. But it’s like, that’s honestly how I feel. And I’m not gonna lie about it. I’ve never been a liar. So, just tell the truth.”
Giphy Images.Now this is what I'm talking about. This is what we love to see. A player not only willing to talk his shit and say whatever happens to come to his mind, but also be an absolute force on the court. I am a firm believer that as long as you go out and back up what you say on the court, then you can talk all you want. Being a quote machine while also being an awesome player is pretty much the best of both worlds for everyone involved. Warriors fans get the next star for the post-Steph world, and the rest of us get endless amounts of content whenever he is in front of a mic or a camera. A true win/win for everyone.
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It would be one thing if Yaxel talked all this shit and then flopped as a prospect. The fact that he's already looking like he could end up being the best player of his class while making a real impact on the court is what makes this so great to me. I know there were some who were nervous about his age, but it already looks like there will be a lot of teams kicking themselves for passing on him. The Warriors got lucky as hell in the Steph Draft (7th pick), and it certainly looks like that's where we're headed with Yaxel (11th pick) as well.