The former Michigan Wolverine was drafted No. 11 overall on Tuesday, June 23
Credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Yaxel Lendeborg was drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2026 NBA Draft
- Lendeborg shared an emotional moment with his mom, Yissel Raposo, who has Stage 4 appendix cancer
- He credited his mom’s sacrifices and strength, calling her his “guardian angel” in a heartfelt Players’ Tribune essay
It's a moment Yaxel Lendeborg and his mom will forever remember.
The former Michigan star broke down in tears on Tuesday, June 23 after the Golden State Warriors selected him 11th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, with the 6-foot-9 forward embracing his mother, Yissel Raposo, in an emotional scene inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Yissel, who has Stage 4 appendix cancer, wiped away tears from Lendeborg's face before he greeted NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the stage, according to broadcast footage.
"This moment is for her." ❤️
Yaxel Lendenborg's mom used to call him every NBA draft night to remind him that he could be on that stage some day. She just watched him get drafted in the first round 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/YNWgj8lvPq
— espnW (@espnW) June 24, 2026
When asked by ESPN's Lisa Salters what sharing this life-altering moment meant to him, Lendeborg said Tuesday, "It means everything to me."
"She's put her whole life on hold for my life. I'm super proud of her for fighting so hard and I'm glad we get to share this moment together," he said.
Lendeborg spoke candidly about his mom's cancer diagnosis in a February 2026 essay for The Players' Tribune.
Credit: ESPN
"All that I do, anything I have or will accomplish, I owe it all to her. She is my guardian angel. My hero," he wrote. "And, just to be completely real with you, everything she means to me … I value and appreciate it now even more than ever before because one night a few months ago, my mom called me up on the phone and told me she had been diagnosed with cancer.
"… With me and my mom, it’s been a bumpy journey we’ve been on together, but I am beyond grateful for everything she’s done to look out for me over the years."
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Lendeborg's mom supported him during his lone season at Michigan this year, when the Wolverines won an NCAA title.
Lendeborg joins a Golden State squad looking to rebound after a 37-45 campaign in 2025-26.
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