Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Author: Isabella DiAmore

  • Pennsauken’s Yaxel Lendeborg selected by Golden State Warriors in first round of NBA draft

    Pennsauken’s Yaxel Lendeborg selected by Golden State Warriors in first round of NBA draft

    Yaxel Lendeborg went from playing one varsity season at Pennsauken High School to an NBA lottery pick.

    The 23-year-old forward, who was the Big Ten Player of the Year this season at national champion Michiganwas picked No. 11 by Golden State in the first round on Tuesday night.

    Expressing emotion when hearing his name called at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Lendeborg embraced his mother, Yissel, in tears.

    He said on the ESPN telecast that “I don’t deserve to be here right now. I didn’t have the traditional path. … I can’t believe it.”

    Yaxel Lendeborg’s untraditional path to becoming an NBA draft pick was fueled by his mother

    Lendeborg thought his basketball career was over in high school. He played in just 11 games his senior year after being academically ineligible to play for his sophomore and junior seasons.

    That was until an opportunity arose — thanks to his mother — at the junior college level with Arizona Western College.

    “That kid got here because of her,” Lendeborg said on the telecast. “She pushed a dream, forced me to go out there and become a man.”

    He spent three seasons at Arizona Western, including a COVID-19 season, where he emerged in his third year, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds. In 2023, he transferred to Alabama-Birmingham and played two seasons with the Blazers.

    Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates with his family after being selected by the Golden State Warriors.Yuki Iwamura

    In his final season at UAB, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds. He also was named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference selection twice.

    Lendeborg, who is 6-foot-9, graduated from UAB in 2025 and entered the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility, which brought him to Michigan. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines.

    Tuesday was the second time in Michigan program history that three players were drafted in the first round.

    NBA draft news: Options for the Sixers as pick nears; Giannis trade gives Embiid new title; Pennsauken product heads to Warriors

    Center Aday Mara was picked by the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 12 after forward Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth overall to the Mavericks, reuniting with his college coach, Dusty May, who on Tuesday was named Dallas’ head coach.

    After he was selected, Lendeborg said his mother told him, “We did it. All the sacrifice we made, we finally accomplished it — you did it.”

    He’ll join a Golden State team that finished 10th in the Western Conference, with a 37-45 record this season.

  • Community mourns 16-year-old wrestler Chase Sudano, who died in an e-bike crash in Burlington County

    Community mourns 16-year-old wrestler Chase Sudano, who died in an e-bike crash in Burlington County

    The South Jersey wrestling community is mourning 16-year-old Chase Sudano, who died in an electric bike crash involving a UPS truck in Burlington County on Tuesday morning.

    New Jersey state troopers responded to a crash at 10:45 a.m. near the intersection of Tranquility Court and North Firelane Road near Route 70 in Southampton Township, N.J.

    Sudano was driving a Talaria electric dirt bike east on North Firelane Road and collided with the right rear of the truck, which was traveling south on Tranquility Court and approaching the intersection of North Firelane Road, according to police.

    Sudano was ejected from the bike and sustained fatal injuries from the impact. No other injuries were reported. The case remains under investigation, police say.

    A UPS spokesperson wrote in a statement: “We are heartbroken by the tragic accident in Southampton Township, N.J. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones. We are fully cooperating with authorities to understand what happened. Since this is an active investigation, we must refer any additional questions to the authorities.”

    Sudano, who attended St. Augustine Prep in Atlantic County, was approaching his 17th birthday and lived in Southampton, according to 6abc.

    He was a rising wrestling star and had “exceptional character, integrity, and humility — not only on the wrestling mat, but in every aspect of his life,” St. Augustine Prep Athletics wrote.

    As a sophomore, Sudano was a district champion and third-place finisher at regionals in the 126-pound weight class. He qualified for the NJSIAA state wrestling championship in Atlantic City, where he competed in the preliminary round, and finished his season with a 32-12 record.

    South Jersey schools and wrestling programs, including Rutgers University, shared their condolences to the Sudano family.

    “The St. Augustine Prep community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our Hermit Brother,” the school’s athletic department wrote. “… He embodied the values of our brotherhood and left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing him. As we mourn this tremendous loss, we stand together in support of one another.”

    Chase Sudano was a rising wrestling star. He qualified for states this past season.St. Augustine Preparatory School

    Sudano wrestled in elementary school with the Rancocas Valley youth program and showed promise for a bright future, Rancocas Valley Wrestling said. The program also shared on social media that he’ll be remembered for “his strong work ethic, witty humor, and fierce competitive spirt.”

    A GoFundMe page organized by John Chirico noted that Sudano “was laid back, funny, and genuinely well liked by everyone who knew him. He had a way of making people laugh and bringing a smile to those around him.”

    His club team, River Club, which is based in Fort Washington in Montgomery County, posted on Instagram that Sudano was at more “wrestling practices than anyone in the last 13 years.”

    Pride Wrestling Club in Newfield, Gloucester County, wrote on Facebook that he was “an [integral] part of the South Jersey wrestling community. … We will all miss you dearly as a friend, competitor, opponent and family.”