
Imago
April 10, 2026, Los Angeles, California, USA: Dillon Brooks 3 of the Phoenix Suns during their regular season NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday April 10, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Lakers defeat Suns, 101-73. ARIANA RUIZ/PI Los Angeles USA – ZUMAp124 20260410_zaa_p124_001 Copyright: xArianaxRuizx

Imago
April 10, 2026, Los Angeles, California, USA: Dillon Brooks 3 of the Phoenix Suns during their regular season NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday April 10, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Lakers defeat Suns, 101-73. ARIANA RUIZ/PI Los Angeles USA – ZUMAp124 20260410_zaa_p124_001 Copyright: xArianaxRuizx
Over the years, the Golden State Warriors have been on the receiving end of some villainous antics from Dillon Brooks. But Yaxel Lendeborg, the Dub Nation’s rookie, is already sending a strong message ahead of the new season. After winning the MVP in the Summer League, Lendeborg continues to grow in confidence.
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Busy with the off-season practice, the 23-year-old has also kept himself busy with his regular gaming streams. During one of them, he made a bold proclamation about his rookie season, and in another called out the Suns star.
“Am I excited for the Dillon Brooks matchup?” Lendeborg read one of his comments from his streams on Kick. His confident reply was, “I’m finna give Dillon Brooks belt, man. Stop playing, bruh.”
This adds another interesting anecdote in the Warriors-Dillon Brooks saga. His beef started with the Warriors in the 2022 playoffs, when his Grizzlies lost in a heated series. Warriors HC Steve Kerr said Brooks had “broke the code” after his foul on Gary Payton II. Then in 2025, Brooks’ Rockets lost to the Warriors again, and he called Draymond Green a “dirty player.”
In fact, after Game 7, the then-Houston star didn’t shake hands with the Warriors afterward.
This time, Green called Brooks a “sucka.” Even during the 2026 playoffs, Dillon Brooks made it clear the rivalry was still alive. He wanted the Warriors to beat the Clippers so Phoenix, his team, could face Golden State, specifically saying:
“Steph and Draymond. That’s it. And Steve Kerr.”
No wonder Yaxel Lendeborg challenged Brooks.
It’s not the first time Yaxel Lendeborg has made claims on his stream. During his Kick stream on Wednesday, he set the expectations straight from his rookie year.
“Imma try to average 15 points, probably like 6 rebounds, and like 3 or 4 assists. Imma make that like the bare minimum for me, you know what I’m saying. If I get under that, then I’m a–.” he said.
The confidence from the rookie stems from his 2026 NBA Summer League performance. Lendeborg helped Golden State win the championship on the back of his average of 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals across six games.
The Warriors rookie has put a pin on Dillon Brooks, as they visit Phoenix on October 24, just three days after opening their 2026-27 regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then they meet again on November 2.
Even Dillon Brooks won’t be afraid of the challenge, as he is coming off the most productive scoring season of his NBA career. The 30-year-old forward averaged a career-high 20.2 points, along with 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 56 appearances while shooting 43.5% from the field.
The Suns rewarded him with a 3-year, $73 million contract extension, which will be another motivating factor for Brooks.
Written by
Edited by

Rohini Kottu
