Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg has made a name for himself in the 2025-2026 college basketball season. His latest March Madness performance also earned him a unique comparison to LeBron James from teammate Nimari Burnett.
While Lendeborg led Michigan to a Round of 32 win over Saint Louis with another big stat line, his coast-to-cast poster dunk in the second half is all anyone wanted to talk about after the game. Looking back on the dunk, Burnett believes it perfectly encapsulates why he views Lendeborg as “Dominican LeBron.”
“Dominican LeBron,” Burnett said of Lendeborg. “It's as simple as those two words. Just his aggression going to the basket. At that point of the game, we were up 10 or so, but it gave us another boost to extend the lead and continue to have good defensive intensity. Like I said, those two words: Dominican LeBron.”
Nimari Burnett calls his teammate Yaxel Lendeborg “Dominican LeBron” following Michigan’s win to advance to the Sweet 16. @umichbball pic.twitter.com/3NluHBtajQ
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 21, 2026
Lendeborg's dunk nearly took the roof off the KeyBank Center, and it allowed Michigan to open up a double-digit lead in the second half. The Wolverines led by nine at halftime before dominating the second half to cinch the 95-72 victory.
Lendeborg briefly considered entering the 2025 NBA Draft before deciding to transfer to Michigan via the college basketball transfer portal. His monstrous senior season now has him pegged as a mid-first-round prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft despite his advanced age.
Lendeborg might not be the “Dominican LeBron,” but his elite, well-rounded skill set is the main appeal of his draft stock. The New Jersey native was a first-team All-American after averaging 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks on just 9.3 field goal attempts per game.




















