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SAN FRANCISCO – Yaxel Lendeborg gleefully pressed “record” on the camcorder. Forget living in the moment: The Warriors‘ rookie wanted to capture the bombast of his mentor for social media.
Draymond Green strutted in front of the lens, belting out a hearty “BOOM” after knocking down a 3-pointer. Lendeborg cackled behind the camera, capturing a moment that will eventually live for time eternal on the internet.
Perhaps there are older players who would not understand Lendeborg’s Gen Z obsession with sharing moments of his life with the public.
Green is not among the puzzled denizens. Yes, at 36, he is a millennial – or as Lendeborg calls him, an “Unc” – and on the tail end of his Hall of Fame career.
But he still understands Lendeborg and has taken to guiding the Warriors’ top draft pick into the NBA, both on the court and beyond it, as the Warriors prepare to open their season tonight in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
“Even if he doesn’t like, look like it or act like it, he’s definitely hip to a lot that goes on,” Lendeborg, 24, told the Bay Area News Group. “He’s on social media a lot, he’s just not as active responding (to people) as me.”
Hosting the “Draymond Green Show” and being one of the foremost users of Instagram’s Threads spinoff app does not hurt, but Green had another explanation for why he stays up to date on language.
“I have kids,” Green told the Bay Area News Group in a matter-of-fact tone. “Yaxel and them, they keep me knowing the slang.”
Raising his children and being a regular social media user might make Green feel young, but there is no remedy for reversing the effects of playing 949 regular-season games and 31 playoff series.
His time in the NBA is running out, and now he has two responsibilities. Helping the team win games is obviously a priority. But of equal importance is preparing Lendeborg for the leading role he will assume after Green and Steph Curry have exited the frame.
“That’s a part of my job title, even if it’s unspoken,” Green said. “In this world, if you wanna be great, you better understand the unspoken.”
The assignment may be silent, but the dialogue between the veteran and rookie is constant.
Lendeborg, the No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft, is ready to learn. Behind the ever-present smile, the jokes and the gregarious nature he shares with fans on Instagram Live and Kick streams, he is a deeply serious student of the game.
During the Warriors’ first preseason game in Honolulu, Lendeborg sat next to Green on the bench, soaking up what the four-time champ was telling him long after the starters had been pulled from the game.
A dozen days later, the same scene was repeated as the Warriors concluded their preseason slate with a win over Portland at Chase Center.
Before checking in during the second quarter, Green barked out a few instructions to Lendeborg, who was sitting next to the scorer’s table and nodded in acknowledgement.
With each public display of camaraderie, the silly controversy that briefly dominated internet discourse seems more outlandish.
The two engaged in a public social media spat this summer as Lendeborg, a Michigan grad who won the NCAA title last year with the Wolverines, ribbed Green and his Michigan State ties over the course of several interviews. Green used his podcast to quash any speculation of deeper disarray between the franchise’s longtime foundational forward and the man who might be the next one.
Lendeborg did the same during halftime of an August game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Chicago Sky at Chase Center. He shook his head when asked if there was real beef between himself and Green.
“I was just joking. There’s nothing at all,” Lendeborg told this news organization, throwing his hands up in disbelief.
Aside from the occasional alma mater jab, that non-story is a distant memory. Green has since assumed the role of teacher, and Lendeborg the spot of willing student who peppers him with questions.
It was not so long ago that Green was the one learning.
Green listed off one long-retired player after another who helped mold him from a scrappy second-round pick into one of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen: David West. Richard Jefferson. Jermaine O’Neal. Jarrett Jack. Carl Landry.
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He then pursed his lips, recalling how he squandered chances to guide young players in the past.
“It’s a privilege, right? It’s a privilege for a young guy to listen to you, and I never want to (expletive) it up,” said Green, careful not to reveal names. “Just be more mature … but we live life. So you live and you learn.”
Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Jordan Poole were all talented players who left the organization in their early 20s, with Green punching Poole during practice in 2022 a flashpoint of the dynasty.
Longtime head coach Steve Kerr vouched for Green’s willingness to learn over their 12 years together. He said Green’s mentorship manifests itself when the cameras are not rolling, during film sessions and practices.
But while he wants to help young players, Green has accepted that sometimes it is best to walk away and let others lead for a day.
“He’s learned that there are going to be some days where he’s not going to be mentoring and he’s got to get through his anger, his frustration,” Kerr told the Bay Area News Group. “That’s why the balance of having Steph and Al Horford as leaders are so important.”
Beyond the X’s and O’s, sussing out the tactical differences between the college and the faster pro circuit, some of their most productive chats have nothing to do with breaking down the game.
Lendeborg’s locker is directly to the left of Curry’s in the Warriors’ locker room, but it is Green who he often seeks for guidance on matters beyond whether he missed a rotation.
Sports is often pictured as a brotherhood, but Lendeborg described Green as an older relative.
“Like an uncle, you get to talk to him about his life,” Lendeborg said. “He tells you everything that happened in his life, the bad, good, and he tries to get you to learn from your own mistakes, so that’s something I really appreciate.
Green is playing on a one-year contract, and retirement could come as soon as the 2027 offseason.
His legs may not move like they did when he was racking up All-Defense honors or hounding LeBron James during the Warriors’ dynastic days of the late 2010s, but his mind is as sharp as ever.
Green bristled at the idea of not passing that knowledge to his protege.
“If you’re not willing to help fast-track someone’s learning, go the (expletive) home,” Green said. “Why have all that experience if you’re just going to take it home with you?”
Both Green and Curry have ascribed to that philosophy, and it paid off this preseason. Lendeborg averaged a team-high 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and looked like a 10-year vet on offense.
It is difficult to believe he began the exhibition slate timidly, looking to pass and defer to his teammates. A few texts later, Curry and Green made sure that would never be an issue again.
“They make it really easy to not feel any pressure,” Lendeborg said. “That made me feel a lot better, and made me go into that next game a lot more aggressive.”
This year, Lendeborg is the one taking in the lessons of two of the game’s greats.
But it will not always be that way.
They will eventually retire. If the Warriors’ prognostication proves correct, Lendeborg will assume the mantle as one of the team’s leaders.
Green hopes that by the time his student reaches the twilight of his own career, his guidance will live on beyond tactical tips.
“I hope he’s made $700 million and won championships and has a young guy who he takes pride in showing the way to,” Green said. “Because for him, there were some guys who were willing to, no matter what, show him the way.”
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This story was originally published October 21, 2026 at 5:25 AM.