Why Steve Kerr advised Yaxel Lendeborg to take time off before rookie NBA season

Why Steve Kerr advised Yaxel Lendeborg to take time off before rookie NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The average NBA career is a short 4 1/2 years. Yaxel Lendeborg wants to make sure his time in the league stretches far beyond that number, and that begins with taking care of himself in the gym.

“I want to be here every single day at all times just because I know how it’s going to get,” Lendeborg said Monday at Warriors Media Day. “The average … lifespan I guess that people are in the NBA is three, four years, I think I keep hearing. I definitely have hopes and plans of being in it for way longer. If I can get like grandpa Al (Horford), then hopefully 20 years would be great, but we’ll see how it all goes. I’m going to continue to try to work out and stay in the best shape as I can be.”

Lendeborg’s constant presence in the gym also has caught coach Steve Kerr’s attention, who told media that the rookie has “a great approach”.

“I’ve literally had three different conversations with him telling him to get out of here for a few days because, you know, we’re going to embark on this eight-month journey or so starting tomorrow,” Kerr said Monday. “He just can’t stay out of the gym. He wants to be great.”

"He just can't stay out of the gym."

Kerr is begging Yaxel to take a day off 😤 pic.twitter.com/9cCW23JcD8

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 28, 2026

Kerr also said how he likes Lendeborg’s “journey,” winning a national championship last year at Michigan and having to “fight for everything,” while adding that he is “going to play a ton”.

With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody sidelined with injuries until the midseason mark, Lendeborg could play a crucial role in the early part of the season.

The 24-year-old briefly played alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green during Butler’s players-only camp in San Diego, but as Golden State begins its training camp Tuesday, the veterans and coaching staff surely will be keeping an eye on Lendeborg’s ability to fit into the Warriors system.

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