A former standout who played for three years on the Arizona Western College men's basketball team in Yuma is realizing his dream of making it to the NBA.
Yaxel Lendeborg, who played for the AWC Matadors from 2020-2023, was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th pick in the NBA Draft on Tuesday.
In Yuma, Lendeborg became the NJCAA’s all-time leading rebounder.
After AWC, Lendeborg signed with Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) and then transferred to Michigan, who helped win the National Championship in April. Now he's going to join 4-time NBA Champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in San Francisco.
Matadors Athletics officials said Lendeborg is the fifth player in Arizona Western men's basketball program history to reach the NBA. He's the third Matador to be drafted and the second in program history to be taken as a lottery pick.
Rafael Araújo was selected 8th overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2004.
Lendeborg joins Araújo and Nate "Tiny" Archibald (19th overall, 1970) as the only former Matadors to be drafted into the NBA. Lendeborg is the fifth player in Arizona Western history to reach the NBA. Trevor Ruffin (1994-96) and Robert Smith (1977-84) reached the NBA as undrafted free agents.
In a released statement, Arizona Western head men's basketball coach Kyle Isaacs said "It's awesome. It's great for our program. It's great for our community. It's great for junior college. We're trying to use it to our best ability and recruitment of student athletes."
