Yaxel Lendeborg Among Warriors Hall Of Famers In Scoring Through First 11 Games

Yaxel Lendeborg among Warriors Hall of Famers in scoring through first 11 games originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg’s hot start to his NBA career puts him in Hall-of-Fame-level company. 

Lendeborg ranks third in scoring among rookies through their first 11 games in Warriors franchise history with 235 points. Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry scored 395 and 237 points, respectively, through their first 11 career games with the franchise. 

Of the other nine players on the top 10 list, seven of those former Warriors are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Golden State desperately needed a secondary scorer behind Steph Curry while Jimmy Butler recovers from injury, and Lendeborg has answered the call. The Warriors’ lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft ranks second on the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game. 

His scoring has been consistent, with the rookie recording at least 12 points in all but one game. Lendeborg has scored at least 23 points in six of his 11 career games, highlighted by a 37-point performance in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Those points have come in big moments as well, particularly in Saturday’s overtime win over the Orlando Magic, in which Lendeborg led all scorers in the extra period with seven points. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr has been impressed with the rookie’s poise so early into his career. 

“He’s learning something new every game – probably multiple things a game,” Kerr told reporters Saturday after the overtime win. “He’s picking it up with such poise and grace. He gets frustrated, but he moves on and just plays.  

“The way he closed the game in the fourth quarter and overtime looked like someone who has been around for a while – not a guy who has played 10 NBA games.” 

Lendeborg is a key reason for the Warriors’ eight-game winning streak, the team’s longest since the 2021-22 championship season. Golden State and its rookie scoring machine will look to extend its streak on the road Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. 

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