Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg just did something NBA hasn't seen in 34 years

Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg just did something NBA hasn't seen in 34 years originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Yaxel Lendeborg finds himself in some impressive company early in his NBA career. The Golden State Warriors rookie recorded 26 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves . Through his first five career games, Lendeborg is now averaging 22.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. According to the NBA, Lendeborg is the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 1992 to average at least 20 points and nine rebounds through his first five NBA games. Anytime you're in the same conversation as O'Neal, you know you're doing something right. MORE:  Steve Kerr meets Steve Kerr lookalike in real-like Spiderman meme moment Lendeborg had a relatively quiet debut, finishing with 12 points and three rebounds. Since then, he's been a different player.  Here's how he's performed over his last four games: 18 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies 26 points and nine rebounds in a loss to the Phoenix Suns 31 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Denver Nuggets 26 points and nine rebounds in a win over the Timberwolves It's particularly impressive given Lendeborg's unconventional path to the NBA. The 24-year-old played at Arizona Western and UAB before transferring to Michigan, where he won Big Ten Player of the Year and helped the Wolverines capture the national championship. After six seasons in college, the Warriors selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. MORE:  LeBron James gives Caitlin Clark valuable gift after 76ers game Golden State's bet was that Lendeborg's experience would help him contribute immediately. So far, he's delivering — and then some. Lendeborg will look to continue his strong play on Friday, when the Warriors host Luka Doncic's Lakers. The matchup carries extra intrigue after Lendeborg said he lost " all respect " for Doncic following their heated exchange in Golden State's season-opening loss to Los Angeles. After averaging 27.7 points over his last three games, Lendeborg enters the matchup with a lot more momentum than he had in his NBA debut. More NBA news: Jaylen Brown shoots down Brian Scalabrine's 'false allegations' in Celtics trade saga Stephen Curry scores 44 points, but his perfect free-throw streak is just as ridiculous Anthony Edwards suffers brutal $304M blow as NBA rule costs him supermax contract Yaxel Lendeborg is ready to reignite his newfound rivalry with Luka Doncic