As the Michigan basketball team is looking to capture the Big Ten with the program in the midst of an impressive season, a video circulated around Yaxel Lendeborg has gone viral that could paint him in a bad light. With Lendeborg helping the Michigan basketball team to the best start in program history, head coach Dusty May speaks at-length about the video featuring the senior.
While the Wolverines take on the Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday, a video has been circulating of Lendeborg having an NSFW declaration about the team. May would say that the video took place after he signed with Michigan.
“When we see Purdue, we gonna spank they f****** ass,” Lendeborg said in the video. “We gonna beat they f****** ass. F*** Purdue.”
The video in question:pic.twitter.com/CeyfFolelz
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 16, 2026
For May, he would say that he and Lendeborg spoke about it and what was “disappointing” about it, according to video from The Field of 68.
“I spoke at length with the Yaxel about it, and the most disappointing part of it is, is that he feels really bad about how he's perceived from children and those that look up to him,” May said. “He said, ‘Coach, I don't even use that language in conversation. I don't like the way it makes me look. I feel terrible about it,' and then obviously how he's perceived to our fan base and those that he cares about.
Michigan basketball's Dusty May on the “great lesson” from the video
While the Michigan basketball team is looking to be a March Madness contender, there's no denying that outside distractions are the last thing the program needs. May would explain how this is a “great lesson” for Lendeborg, who is averaging 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
“Look, it's a great lesson. It's one of the reasons he's here. He wanted to learn to be a better Pro,” May said. “This was back, I think, in May, right after he signed at Michigan. And obviously, the excitement of being here, of playing in these games, he's at an establishment after hours, and they asked him a question about the number one team in the country, and he said the things he said he wishes he wouldn't have moving forward.”
Lendeborg and the Wolverines look to put it past them when the team takes on Purdue on Tuesday.
