Full Breakdown
Warriors Capture Second NBA Summer League Title Behind Yaxel Lendeborg’s MVP Performance
7/21/2026, 4:29:24 AM
Core Event
On July 19 2026, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 94-90 in the Las Vegas Summer League championship at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg (11th overall pick) posted a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double and was named the game’s MVP. Cameron Boozer (3rd overall pick) led Memphis with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Background & Context
The Warriors’ victory marks their second Summer League championship, the first coming in the inaugural 2013 event. Lendeborg entered the league fresh from an NCAA Division I title with the University of Michigan, becoming only the second player—after Davion Mitchell—to win both a college championship and a Summer League title in the same calendar year.
Key Figures & Groups
- Yaxel Lendeborg – 23-year-old power forward, Warriors’ 11th-overall draft selection.
- Cameron Boozer – 19-year-old forward, Memphis’s 3rd-overall pick and focal point of the Grizzlies’ youth rebuild after trading Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Golden State Warriors – Finished the tournament 5-1, with bench scorer Deivon Smith matching Lendeborg’s 21 points.
- Memphis Grizzlies – Completed a 4-2 run, highlighted by Boozer’s 19-point effort.
- Khalid Robinson – Warriors Summer League head coach.
Data & Statistics
- Final score: Warriors 94, Grizzlies 90.
- Lendeborg: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals (23 minutes).
- Boozer: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists.
- Warriors’ tournament record: 5-1; Grizzlies: 4-2.
- Lendeborg’s Summer League averages: 14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.0 apg; shooting 45.9 % overall, 48.4 % from three-point range.
Why It Matters / Impact
Golden State’s win reinforces the franchise’s ability to develop young talent alongside veterans Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who are entering their late-30s. Lendeborg’s versatility and clutch scoring suggest he could transition from a Summer League focal point to a complementary role on the regular-season roster. For Memphis, Boozer’s strong showing positions him as the prospective face of a rebuilding Grizzlies roster that lost All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the offseason.
Official Statements & Responses
- Khalid Robinson praised Lendeborg’s fit: “*His versatility, physical profile, and competitiveness are ideal for us. You saw it tonight: We were in a hole, and that competitive spirit kicked in.*”
- The Warriors organization highlighted the “*second championship in franchise history, underscoring the depth of our development pipeline*.”
Criticism & Opposition
- Cameron Boozer expressed frustration with officiating, stating: “*I’ve got to find a way to assert myself more… At the end, I got two great looks, but they didn’t fall. … We lost, but this is why I love the game. It was high-intensity and back-and-forth.*”
- Boozer also alleged that referees “*saved*” his opponent, a sentiment echoed in his post-game remarks about perceived bias.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They puckered up. Some of us are built for the moment, and some aren’t. Our spirit, our will, our desire to not lose is pretty much what helped us out.” — Yaxel Lendeborg
- “I think about [revenge] every time I play him. Every game we play, those refs are saving him… It is a competitive nature [with] everybody that gets drafted ahead of me.” — Yaxel Lendeborg
- “Every game I play, I have something to prove to myself, to those who are doubting me, and to those who don't believe in me.” — Yaxel Lendeborg
- “At the end, I got two great looks, but they didn't fall. … We lost, but this is why I love the game. It was high-intensity and back-and-forth.” — Cameron Boozer
The championship not only adds a second Summer League trophy to Golden State’s résumé but also signals the arrival of a new generation of talent poised to shape the NBA landscape in the 2026-27 season.
