Yaxel Lendeborg Breaks Down in Tears Hugging Mom with Stage 4 Cancer After Landing with Warriors in 2026 NBA Draft

Jaclyn HendricksWed, June 24, 2026 at 2:08 AM UTC

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Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates with his mom during the 2026 NBA DraftCredit: Arturo Holmes/Getty -

Yaxel Lendeborg was drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2026 NBA Draft

Lendeborg shared an emotional moment with his mom, Yissel Raposo, who has Stage 4 appendix cancer

He credited his mom's sacrifices and strength, calling her his "guardian angel" in a heartfelt Players' Tribune essay

It's a moment Yaxel Lendeborg and his mom will forever remember.

The former Michigan star broke down in tears on Tuesday, June 23 after the Golden State Warriors selected him 11th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, with the 6-foot-9 forward embracing his mother, Yissel Raposo, in an emotional scene inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Yissel, who has Stage 4 appendix cancer, wiped away tears from Lendeborg's face before he greeted NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the stage, according to broadcast footage.

When asked by ESPN's Lisa Salters what sharing this life-altering moment meant to him, Lendeborg said Tuesday, "It means everything to me."

"She's put her whole life on hold for my life. I'm super proud of her for fighting so hard and I'm glad we get to share this moment together," he said.

Lendeborg spoke candidly about his mom's cancer diagnosis in a February 2026 essay for The Players' Tribune.

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The former Michigan Wolverine fought back tears after being drafted by the Golden State Warriors on June 23, 2026Credit: ESPN

"All that I do, anything I have or will accomplish, I owe it all to her. She is my guardian angel. My hero," he wrote. "And, just to be completely real with you, everything she means to me … I value and appreciate it now even more than ever before because one night a few months ago, my mom called me up on the phone and told me she had been diagnosed with cancer.

"... With me and my mom, it's been a bumpy journey we've been on together, but I am beyond grateful for everything she's done to look out for me over the years."

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Lendeborg's mom supported him during his lone season at Michigan this year, when the Wolverines won an NCAA title.

Lendeborg joins a Golden State squad looking to rebound after a 37-45 campaign in 2025-26.

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Source: “AOL Sports”