The Golden State Warriors just welcomed No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg. But he has already found himself in an unexpected battle with Draymond Green. The Warriors veteran and the rookie come from bitter college rivals, Michigan State and Michigan, and that rivalry has quickly spilled into the NBA. After Lendeborg claimed Stephen Curry added him to the team group chat while Draymond never replied, Green fired back with receipts.

The veteran forward soon took to his Instagram Stories and shared screenshots of his conversation with the 23-year-old. He added captions: “staying true to the name scUM bUMs!” and “Proof that I did text @yaxellendeborg back! Rookie Hazing beating up for these lies Rook 🤣🤣🤣.” Now, many would’ve thought that Draymond had resolved the matter. But no.

On The Draymond Green Show, he called out Lendeborg, “Yaxel’s been f***ing lying. And I was very happy to expose the rookie on the internet. This guy texted me. I texted back within 30 seconds.” He added, “This f***ing guy, and it’s the Michigan way. Of course, it’s the Michigan way.” Green goes on to narrate his conversation with Yaxel and the press conference incident. “You f***ing liar, Yaxel. How dare you? Just come out and lie like that!” Green remarked.

According to the 36-year-old, the rookie texted first, and he replied within a minute despite being in Europe and dealing with a time difference. Therefore, Draymond kept “receipts”; he kept the messages to prove it, calling out Lendeborg’s claim publicly. Now, while most NBA franchises are deep in rookie hazing, the Golden State Warriors have left those rituals behind. They don’t fill their new faces’ cars with popcorn or vanish their tires anymore. However, if Yaxel Lendeborg wants it, Draymond would be more than happy to bring it back. And he made that clear.

“Now, your credibility is everything, young fella. Don’t you come in here lying because, you know, we’re not really a team very big on rookie hazing. It’s just not something that we do a ton of,” Draymond warned. “It’s just kind of been that way for a while. We’ve just never been that team. We’re just pouring on the rookie hazing. But we can pick that back up. We can definitely make it a little more interesting.”

But despite the friendly fire, Draymond wants the best for Yaxel Lendeborg. And therefore, he has a very important request for everyone.

Draymond Green doesn’t want pressure to mount on Yaxel Lendeborg

“Can we please stop putting this pressure on Yaxel, a rookie, to come in like he’s supposed to save the day? It seemed like every time someone signs to the Warriors, the same thing happened with Dennis Schroder,” Draymond Green said. Green argued that expectations can unfairly hurt a newcomer before he even gets a chance. He believes Lendeborg can become a key piece for the Warriors over time, but not overnight. Instead of expecting him to rescue the franchise immediately, Green wants fans to appreciate his development and rookie journey first.

“No one has ever said, ‘Oh man, the 11th pick in the draft is coming in, and he’s going to save that franchise right now, today.’ If we’re saying that, it’d be the number one pick. So stop with all the added pressure, all the added responsibility. Let’s let rookies be rookies,” he further requested.

Draymond also noted that Lendeborg having a breakout season would be a bonus, not an expectation. He believes people are placing unrealistic pressure on the rookie, almost setting him up to fail. To make his point, Green referenced Kobe Bryant, saying that even the future legend was never expected to instantly transform a franchise. “Kobe Bryant was the 13th pick, and no one said he was saving the day that year. That’s Kobe Bryant,” he said.

So, amidst the back and forth online, Draymond Green wants Yaxel Lendeborg to enjoy his rookie season. Undoubtedly, the veteran forward will play a mentor’s role for the newbie whenever he needs it.