Yaxel Lendeborg has already made quite an impression in his first few weeks as an NBA player. But his most meaningful achievement might have happened far away from a basketball court.
The Golden State Warriors rookie has surprised his mother, Yissel Raposo, with a new house, using his newfound financial success to give something back to the woman he credits with changing his life.
In his first YouTube video, Lendeborg documented the emotional surprise as family members gathered outside the property. Standing in front of the house with a gift box, the young forward appeared considerably more nervous than he has looked during some of his biggest NBA moments.
“I’m nervous now,” he admitted before revealing the surprise.
Then came the words his mother had undoubtedly waited a lifetime to hear.
“Welcome home.”
For anyone familiar with Lendeborg’s extraordinary journey to the NBA, the gesture carries special significance.
Long before he became a lottery pick, a college basketball star or one of Golden State’s most exciting young players, Lendeborg was a teenager struggling to find direction. He frequently skipped classes, spent countless hours playing video games and appeared to be drifting further away from his potential.
His mother refused to let that become his story. In a deeply personal essay published in The Players’ Tribune earlier this year, Lendeborg described an emotional confrontation with Raposo during his senior year of high school. Sitting together in her minivan, he watched his mother break down in tears as she confronted him about his future.
That conversation changed everything. Raposo helped him get his education back on track, found opportunities for him to pursue basketball and eventually helped him secure a place at Arizona Western College.
She did all of this while working multiple jobs to support her family.
“We’ve pretty much struggled our whole lives,” Lendeborg explained after being drafted. “My mom had to have two, three jobs just to provide for the family.”
His path was anything but conventional. After three seasons at Arizona Western, Lendeborg spent two years at UAB before transferring to Michigan, where he developed into one of college basketball’s best players and helped the Wolverines win the 2026 national championship.
Golden State subsequently selected him with the 11th overall pick in June’s NBA Draft.
Since then, his transition to the professional game has been spectacular. Lendeborg recently erupted for 37 points against the Los Angeles Clippers and followed that performance with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals against Miami, helping the Warriors extend their winning streak to six games.
But perhaps the most remarkable part of his story is what his success has allowed him to do for his family. Raposo, who has also battled appendix cancer, spent years making sacrifices to provide opportunities for her children. Now her son is in a position to provide the security and comfort she worked so hard to give them.
Earlier this year, Lendeborg wrote that everything he had accomplished, and everything he hoped to accomplish, was something he owed to his mother. He has already helped pay bills and purchased her a car. Now, he has given her a home.
