Tattoos reveal Lendeborg’s journey to confidence, success

Yaxel Lendeborg crossed the heart of the court that read “Final Four” on Friday afternoon and saw fans throughout Lucas Oil Stadium looking on from every angle.

It still seemed a moment of impossibility for Lendeborg as he attempted to take it all in. He turned to his University of Michigan teammates, his “brothers,” offered a smile and got back to work.

Lendeborg has a story – and it’s told through tattoos on his lower left leg that represents a journey to a place that once seemed unreachable.

A street sign marks the top of Lendeborg’s calf. The word “Dreams” points in one direction, and below it, the word “Reality” takes the opposite direction. Below the sign, at the base of the image is the word “Dream Chaser.”

These three words serve as a reminder for Lendeborg, a reminder of his mom and a reminder that he belongs.

“I have two pieces on my leg that represent my mom,” he said. “She was always calling me the chosen one in the family. She always believed in me more than I believed in myself.”

In Pennsauken, New Jersey, belief was absent from Lendeborg’s routine growing up. He was cut from his middle school basketball team, and high school had its fair share of barriers. His struggles academically kept him off the court until the second half of his senior year.

That was not only a setback, but for Lendeborg, it was confirmation that he didn’t belong with a basketball in his hands. But his mother, Yissel Raposo, had other plans. She saw potential for Yaxel Lendeborg; all he had to do was grab hold of it.

“She always says to dream big, and I never dreamed big until about four or five years ago.” Lendeborg said. “So those tattoos just represent my journey and how much I have been through and how long it has taken to get there.”

Complacency was Lendeborg’s overall attitude throughout high school. He sat and watched as the world around him kept moving, and he believed that he had already set his fate.

“I thought I threw everything away, and I was fine with it,” he said. “I slacked off all four years. And the second half of my senior year was the only time I ever put my mind to getting better for myself.”

When Lendeborg walked away from himself, but his mother continued to pull him back in and insist that he could be better. It was Raposo who booked Lendeborg’s ticket to Yuma, Arizona, where he would compete at the junior college level at Western Arizona. Reluctantly, Lendeborg packed his bags and traveled 2,530 miles to the desert of Yuma, where he would finally fall in love with basketball.

“I had no confidence in myself when I went to Arizona Western,” he said. “I didn’t want to go anyway. I was blaming my mom. But my time at Arizona Western was very needed. It helped me grow into a better man and just develop a lot of basketball habits.”

Lendeborg’s three years at Arizona Western represented tremendous growth that earned him recognition as a two-time NJCAA All-American. But still, every time Lendeborg pressed his shoes against the hardwood, something very important remained missing: confidence.

In 2023, Lendeborg moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he would compete as a Blazer at University of Alabama at Birmingham. That’s when Lendeborg’s trophy case began to fill. He was recognized as a two-time American Athletic Conference first team and a two-time AAC defensive player of the year. The Lendeborg name began to spread nationally, and inevitably, the Michigan Wolverines called his name.

“That journey has felt like a dream,” he said. “There were many times I wanted to quit because I didn’t feel like I belonged. So just being able to be on this stage now with a bunch of genuine brothers I’ll have the rest of my life, it really means the world to me.”

On Friday, the Big Ten player of the year, who just five years ago shuddered at the thought of continuing to play basketball, sat next to his teammate, Nimari Burnett, and reveled in the beauty that basketball has given him and the lifelong family he found at Michigan.

“One thing I would take away is just the power of being together,” Lendeborg said. “This is the first team that I have trusted 100% and had everyone trust me. I do not doubt anyone in this squad.”

As Lendeborg’s tattoo states, reality has been set as he embarks on the final frontier before the national semifinal against the Arizona Wildcats. But in this reality, he will continue to lead with a grin from ear to ear. He will give his teammates a pat on the back, and in doing so, they too will smile back.

“I live happily every single day because I know I am not even supposed to be in this position that I am right now,” he said. “I still feel like I don’t belong, so I just smile everything away, man. And try to be a light to everyone around me. There is nothing not to smile about.”

Jenna Black writes for the Sports Capital Journalism Program at IU Indianapolis.