Yaxel Lendeborg has become one of the biggest names in college basketball, and for good reason. At 6-foot-9 with the ability to score, rebound, pass, defend, and control a game, he has drawn comparisons to one of the greatest players ever. Around the Michigan program, teammates and fans have even started calling him “The Dominican LeBron,” a nickname that reflects not only his size and versatility, but the way he seems capable of doing everything on the court.
But long before he became a star at the University of Michigan, Yaxel’s story was one of struggle, family, and determination.
Yaxel Okari Lendeborg was born in Puerto Rico, but his roots run deep in the Dominican Republic. Both of his parents are Dominican, and basketball was already part of the family long before he ever touched a ball. His father, Okary Lendeborg, played basketball professionally and represented the Dominican Republic. His mother, Yissel Raposo, was also a standout athlete. She played basketball for the Dominican Republic and even competed on the country’s national volleyball team. In many ways, Yaxel was born into a family where sports were part of everyday life.
When Yaxel was still very young, his family moved from Puerto Rico to Ohio. Later, they settled in Pennsauken, New Jersey, where he spent much of his childhood. Despite having two parents who had excelled in basketball, Yaxel did not immediately look like a future superstar. In fact, his journey to the top was anything but smooth.
As a freshman at Pennsauken High School, Yaxel made the basketball team, but he was cut during the season because of poor grades. The setback only got worse. He missed most of the next two seasons because his academics still were not where they needed to be. For many young athletes, that might have been the end of the story.
Instead, it became the beginning.
The person who refused to give up on him was his mother.
Yissel Raposo has been the most important figure in Yaxel’s life. Because his father spent much of his time playing basketball overseas, Yaxel was largely raised by his mother and grandfather. Yissel pushed him, protected him, and constantly reminded him that he was capable of more than he believed. When Yaxel struggled in school and drifted away from basketball, she refused to let him waste his talent.
At one of the lowest moments of his life, Yissel confronted him and told him he needed to take responsibility for his future. That conversation changed everything. Yaxel began focusing in school, entered a dual-enrollment program at Camden County College, and worked his way back onto the basketball court. By his senior year, he finally became eligible again and joined the Pennsauken varsity team with only 11 games left in the season. In those 11 games, he helped the team go 10-1 and showed flashes of the player he would become.
Even today, Yaxel often speaks openly about his bond with his mother. He has described her as the strongest person he knows, especially after she was diagnosed with cancer. Much of his drive comes from wanting to make her proud. Every rebound, every victory, and every step toward the NBA is, in his mind, for her.
After high school, Yaxel’s path remained unconventional. He did not go directly to a major Division I program. Instead, he attended Arizona Western College, a junior college where he slowly began to develop into a serious prospect. From there, he transferred to UAB, where his game exploded.
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At UAB, Yaxel became one of the most productive players in the country. During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game. He led the nation in double-doubles, piled up 26 of them in one season, and became one of only two Division I players ever, along with Larry Bird, to record more than 600 points, 400 rebounds, and 150 assists in a season.
That is when people really started paying attention.
Yaxel was not just putting up numbers, he was doing everything. He could guard multiple positions, run the offense, crash the boards, and score from inside or outside. Scouts loved his rare combination of size and skill. At nearly 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he has the physical tools of an NBA forward, but he also handles the ball and passes like a guard.
In 2025, he transferred to Michigan, where he elevated his game even further. By the 2025-26 season, he had become one of the faces of college basketball. He earned Consensus First-Team All-American honors and was named Big Ten Player of the Year. He also helped turn Michigan into one of the top teams in the nation.
In March 2026, during Michigan’s NCAA Tournament run, Yaxel showed exactly why so many believe he is special. In a Sweet 16 win over Alabama, he scored 23 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and handed out seven assists, leading Michigan to the Elite Eight. After the game, he boldly declared that this Wolverines team might be the best in school history. It was the kind of confidence that stars have, and the kind of performance that backed it up.
What makes Yaxel stand out is that he is not a typical college star. Most elite prospects have been heavily recruited and hyped since middle school. Yaxel was cut from his high school team, missed years because of academics, and had to fight through junior college just to get noticed. Yet now he stands among the best players in America.
His style of play is why the “Dominican LeBron” nickname has stuck. Like LeBron James, Yaxel affects every part of the game. He rebounds like a big man, passes like a point guard, defends multiple positions, and can take over in transition. He may not be the explosive athlete LeBron was, but his all-around impact is remarkably similar.
Today, Yaxel Lendeborg is considered one of the top prospects in college basketball and a likely NBA Draft pick. While some scouts wonder whether his age, he will be 24 as an NBA rookie, could hurt his draft stock, many believe his versatility and experience make him a potential first-round selection, perhaps even a lottery pick.
No matter where he is drafted, Yaxel has already become something bigger than a basketball player. He is a story of second chances, Dominican pride, and the power of a mother who never stopped believing in her son.
