Warriors Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg Talks Trash About Dillon Brooks Ahead of Rookie Season

by USports EditorsAugust 17, 2026, 2:14 pm >

Golden State Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg wasted little time establishing his competitive edge, throwing some pointed trash talk at Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks during a livestream over the weekend.

On his Kick stream Saturday, a fan asked Lendeborg whether he was excited for his eventual matchup against Brooks, one of the NBA’s most notorious instigators. He didn’t hesitate. “Am I excited for the Dillon Brooks matchup? I’m finna give Dillon Brooks belt, man. Stop playing, bruh,” Lendeborg said, using slang for thoroughly dominating an opponent.

The comment quickly circulated across social media and NBA outlets, adding another layer to an already spicy rivalry between the Suns forward and Golden State.

Brooks has built a reputation over the years as one of the league’s most disliked and combative players, with a particularly pointed history against the Warriors. During Golden State’s 2026 playoff run, Brooks made it clear he hoped the Warriors would advance past the Clippers so his Suns could face them, naming Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr as the primary reasons he wanted the matchup.

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Phoenix ultimately delivered on that wish, eliminating Golden State from playoff contention last season, adding extra motivation to what’s already a heated dynamic heading into 2026-27.

Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick out of Michigan in this year’s draft, has quickly developed a reputation for candid, unfiltered commentary since arriving in the league. He’s previously admitted he once disliked both Curry and Green before joining the Warriors, remarks that reportedly irritated Green, who has said he’s looking forward to training camp so he can help rein in the rookie’s outspoken tendencies.

On the same stream where he called out Brooks, Lendeborg also laid out his own expectations for his rookie season, setting a personal bar of roughly 15 points, six rebounds and three to four assists per game, and saying anything below that would represent a disappointment by his own standards.

The 23-year-old’s confidence stems in part from a standout Summer League performance, where he averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists while leading the Warriors to the Summer League championship, earning him MVP honors for the event.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see whether Lendeborg backs up his words. The Warriors and Suns are scheduled to meet twice early in the 2026-27 regular season, first on Oct. 24 in Phoenix and again on Nov. 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco.