Yaxel Lendeborg never envisioned playing college basketball, much less doing so in the desert of Yuma, Ariz.
That plan came from his mother, Yissel Raposo, whose conviction in the path she saw for her son was too strong to be shaken by his stated lack of interest in following it.
Through phone calls and emails from their New Jersey home, Raposo helped secure a scholarship for Lendeborg at Arizona Western College and, despite his protests, drove him to the airport, sending him to play junior college ball less than 15 miles from the Mexican border.
“I definitely didn’t want to go,” Lendeborg said. “I begged and pleaded for her not to take me. When I got to Arizona, it was a complete culture shock. I’d never been away from my mom [at that point], so being there by myself was awful.”
Fast-forward six years, and a man who once seemed content putting his 6-foot-9 frame to work in a warehouse fresh out of high school now boasts a resume that includes a Junior College All-America nod, an NCAA championship, a Big Ten Player of the Year trophy and a draft stock that should lead to his name being called in the first round of next month’s NBA draft.
But before Lendeborg could reach those heights, Raposo had to get him to think bigger and to see basketball as an outlet rather than the “chore” it had been for nearly all of his childhood.
Lendeborg recalled the moment he realized the benefit of following his mother’s lead. At 17, when he was stuck without direction, his mother broke down in tears over his apathy. That moment made something clear: He needed to get his life together to stop hurting the person he loved most.
“If you saw me five years ago, you wouldn’t think anything of that kid,” said Lendeborg, now 23.
So long as he hustled on the court, Raposo matched the hustle on the sidelines. She found a way to get him in front of scouts and coaches, talking to anyone who would listen, professing her son’s talent and potential.
“I’m a mom, and a mom always wants the best for her child,” Raposo said.
Late last year, Raposo’s maternal instinct also led her to keep her cancer diagnosis a secret, as she wanted Lendeborg to focus on his final season of college eligibility.
A former basketball player herself, Raposo understood the importance of the season ahead for her son, who arrived at Michigan this past season as one of the most-heralded transfers in the country. He was making a significant leap from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the American Conference to one of college basketball’s premier programs.
She didn’t want to distract him, but eventually, she felt she couldn’t hide it any longer.
“I immediately threw my phone and broke down,” Lendeborg said of the phone call when his mother told him she had cancer. “I felt like my whole world came crashing down.”
But Lendeborg still had a season to play. He made it a storybook one, leading Michigan to a national championship by averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, proving his game translated to the highest levels of the sport.
Off the court, the Ann Arbor, Mich., faithful embraced Raposo and her journey, making her star shine as bright as — if not brighter than — her son’s.
“I told my daughter I feel like a celebrity! The kids, the love, the support, it makes me feel very happy,” Raposo said.
None of that adulation compares to the joy she gets from seeing the man her son has grown into.
Justin Milhouse for Andscape
“When I look at him, I just thank God for the man that I have next to me. Thank God for a very good son,” she said.
Lendeborg credited his mother for his accomplishments, calling her his recruiter, manager, and coach.
“In every lifetime, I would pick the same mom every time,” Lendeborg said.
What comes next will be bigger: The stage, the spotlight, the stakes. But none of it exists without the work Raposo put in long before anyone knew Lendeborg’s name or watched his highlights.
Before Michigan. Before the nets came down. Before the NBA became real, she helped him see a future he never imagined—and made sure he chased it.
Mom always knows best.
Production Credits:
Reporter — Jerry Bembry
Executive Producer — Marques Miles
Video Editor/EP — Tantus Branham
Production Coordinator – Josh Miller
Producer/Editor — John Gotty
DP/ Cam Op — Larry Moore
Photo Editor — Jessi Dodge
Photographer — Justin Millhouse
Photo Assistant — Kyle Powell
Production Company—Moonlink Studios
The post Yaxel Lendeborg didn’t see the future. His mother did. appeared first on Andscape.
