Warriors’ 1st-Round Pick Was a Kyrie Irving and 2016 Cavs Fan: “I Used to Hate Steph Curry”

Golden State Warriors' draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg explained his past hatred of Stephen Curry.

Warriors’ 1st-Round Pick Was a Kyrie Irving and 2016 Cavs Fan: “I Used to Hate Steph Curry”

Yaxel Lendeborg on Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving (Image credits - Firstsportz)

There is no doubt that Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving will go down as two of the most skilled guards the league has ever seen. Curry is undoubtedly the greatest shooter of all time, while Irving is arguably the best dribbler of the ball the game has ever seen.

The two have faced off against each other three times in the NBA Finals from 2015-17. Curry came out on top twice, while Irving won in 2016 in historic fashion.

In the 2026 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors used their pick to select Yaxel Lendeborg. The rookie revealed that he is a huge Irving fan and a former Curry hater.

In 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry…It’s gonna be an honor to be able to watch him do what he does in person. It is going to be an honor to be able to watch him do what he does in person.

Yaxel Lendeborg in his press conference

Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving are two of the most entertaining players to watch in the NBA. The two stars have often been compared to each other for their influence on the court and style of play.

Curry has four championships to his name, and two of them came against Irving when he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, Irving’s lone championship came in 2016. It was a historic title as Irving and LeBron James led the Cavs from 3-1 down in a mammoth comeback. 2016 was the year when Irving announced himself as one of the best players in the league.

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What does Yaxel Lendeborg bring to the Warriors?

The Warriors had their highest draft pick in five years at No. 11. They used their pick to select Yaxel Lendeborg from the Michigan Wolverines.

It is an interesting pick from the Warriors as Lendeborg is 23 years old and has spent six years playing college basketball. He is 6’9″ with a 7’3″ wingspan and is a solid two-way player. He can guard multiple positions and has improved his shooting with every passing year. Lendeborg is regarded as a good passer as well.

Lendeborg enters the league with more experience than the 10 players drafted before him. He won the NCAA championship in 2026 and averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds during Michigan’s championship run.

He can learn a lot playing under Steve Kerr and playing alongside veterans Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. He is a forward and can play at center whenever Kerr decides to go small to spread the floor.

Stephen Curry had a difficult 2025-26 campaign while Kyrie Irving was injured

Stephen Curry is coming off a disappointing 2025-26 campaign for the Warriors. He missed 36 games due to injury as the Warriors finished at 10th place in the Western Conference standings with a 37-45 record. They failed to reach the playoffs after losing to the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament this year.

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving was in the news recently for missing the 10-year anniversary of the Cavs’ 2016 championship. There was a lot of noise surrounding Irving’s absence but the 34-year-old slammed the media for their assumptions.

Stephen Curry guarding Kyrie Irving
Stephen Curry guarding Kyrie Irving (Image credits – Warriors Brasil/X)

Irving missed the entire 2025-26 campaign due to an ACL tear he suffered in March last year. He will make his much-awaited return in the 2026-27 campaign for the Dallas Mavericks.

Both the Mavs and the Warriors will be looking for much-improved performances next season. They will be looking to bounce back after their poor campaigns this year.

The championship windows for Curry and Irving are getting smaller. Curry is 38 while Irving is 34. The Warriors will be hoping to get the best out of Lendeborg next season. Meanwhile, the Mavs picked another Michigan player, Morez Johnson Jr., as the ninth pick. A huge offseason awaits both clubs as they look to bolster their squads heading into next season.

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