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"This s— will humble you" – Aaron Gordon has a blunt warning for Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg
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- "This s— will humble you" – Aaron Gordon has a blunt warning for Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg
Golden State Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg has gotten off to an unbelievable start, averaging 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He gives Warriors fans a glimmer of hope that Steph Curry's final years with the franchise will finally see him and the team play meaningful basketball games outside the Play-In Tournament.
However, Aaron Gordon gave Landeborg some useful advice: stay on your toes in the NBA, since any player can embarrass defenders if given the chance.
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Gordon's warning for Landeborg
With 12 seasons in the NBA, Gordon is a bona fide league veteran. A versatile 6'8″ forward who won an NBA championship in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets, he has extensive experience in the ways of the NBA. That said, he told Lendebrog to stay even-keeled through the highs and lows of his career; the moment you think you have it all figured out, the NBA moves the goalpost farther.
"As far as, like, your NBA journey, bro, just stay with it. There's some freaks in this league, you know what I mean? Like, real monsters in this league," Gordon said on "Rookie Dinner w/ Vets Aaron Gordon & Drew Gooden."
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"This s––t will humble you."
As someone tasked with checking the opposing team's best frontcourt players, Gordon knows what it is like to try your best on defense and still be given 30 on any given night. Most fans assume only the starters are the ones teams have to worry about. But in reality, every player on the roster can do damage; it's just that there are only so many minutes to go around.
"Thought I was the number one option in Orlando. Not really, you know what I mean? Got to Denver, took a couple of steps back, won a championship, improved my game," Gordon said. "Now, you know, this league is going to humble you. Just always bring that s–t, bro."
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Related: "I was paying a guy $2,000 a day" – Deron Williams on trying to save his ankles in Brooklyn
Learn from the all-time greats
Gordon added that he's been blessed to play with an all-time great like Nikola Jokic. In that same vein, he recommended that Lendeborg try to gain as much basketball wisdom as he can from his Warriors teammates, Curry and Draymond Green, two players who have experienced both the trenches and the top of the NBA mountain.
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"Playing with generational talents like Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic makes the game hella easy, bro. Watch how he works and then just start pulling from it. Just start pulling. Start pulling. Start pulling. Add it to your game, and then do what you can to get back to him while you on the court," Gordon shared. "The more you give out, the more that comes back around, bro."
Learn how to play with them
Drew Gooden, a 14-year veteran, also chimed in, saying that playing with generational talents will help open up the game for young guys like Lendeborg. He recalled playing with LeBron James in the early 2000s, saying the latter's court vision made the game easier for him.
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"They got all the double teams. They got all the pressure. All you got to do is flash to the wide-open spot and go to work," Gooden stated.
The NBA's regular season is a grind, and Lendeborg will surely go through various peaks and valleys. Fortunately, he has received invaluable advice from veterans that he can draw on during those trying moments.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
