This year’s NBA Finals are between the Golden State Warriors (for the millionth time) and the Toronto Raptors. Drake is a huge Raptors stan, being from Canada and all, and the Raptors have embraced him right back, making him a “global ambassador” for the team, and giving him courtside tickets for years now. Drake got courtside tickets for Game 1 of the Finals last night. He managed to get the tickets despite the fact that there have been complaints about Drake’s courtside antics for a year or longer, and he was EXTRA extra during the Raptors’ conference games. Drake was told to “tone it down.” The NBA told the Raptors too: your guy needs to take it down a notch. Instead, this is what happened during Game 1 of the Finals:
Drake had some kind words for Draymond Green after Game 1 of the NBA Finals “You’re Trash” 😂 #Nbafinals pic.twitter.com/z4RM0k7N3q
— Todaysloop (@Todaysloop1) May 31, 2019
Drake calling the Warriors “trash” on their way off the court is class personified. On his worst day @ MSG Spike ain’t do that.
— Downtown Josh Brown (@ReformedBroker) May 31, 2019
That’s Drake standing courtside and getting in the face of the Warriors’ Draymond Green, and if you’re good at lip-reading, you can absolutely see that Drake tells Draymond “you’re trash.” Steph Curry comes up alongside Draymond and it looks like he’s laughing at Drake’s clownery too, but in a “can you believe this douche?” sort of way. I understand the whole “trash talking” thing, but I tend to think this is way too much. The Raptors won Game 1 by the way.
Lmao Drake really thinks he's playing tonight pic.twitter.com/WdXXKgEUtA
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) May 31, 2019
Drake also wore a Raptors jersey which said “Curry 30” – Steph Curry’s dad, Dell Curry, played for the Raptors (as #30) for several years. High-level troll.
Drake’s rocking the Dell Curry Raptors jersey tonight. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/2yBi7cbqaa
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 31, 2019
Photos courtesy of Getty, Instagram.
Supporting his team the Raptors. Go Raptors!
It’s ironic considering Drake has a tattoo for Steph Curry on his arm ! I want the Raptors to win, but if they lose, Drake won’t be able to show his face! He needs to tone it down and be humble. He’s embarrassing all us Canadians !
He says, “NICE TRY!”
Even Steph Curry laughing as he walks by?
It’s not even an issue. You don’t think any one of those players would party with him post finals?
NBA can front all they want, they want eyeballs on their game, they want pop culture moments, memes… Well here you go.
#TheNorthRemembers
Nope. Not at all. I am a Raps fan – and this is NOT acceptable.
Drake’s court side antics are in plain old bad sportsmanship and have been escalating over the course of these playoffs. It’s a disgrace. ESPECIALLY in the position, as a Team Ambassador, he is in.
Wearing a cheeky jersey is one thing, beaking off and aggressively trash talking opposing players is another.
We should be focusing on the AMAZING fans the Raptors have (Nav Bhatia – amazing fan AND an amazing guy!!) and the AMAZING position the team find themselves in …. NOT Drake’s uncalled for and unacceptable court side antics. He needs to sit down.
That being said….. GO RAPS!!!!!!!!
Nav Bhatia is a CLASS ACT. He is a true Raptors Super Fan. I don’t think he’s ever missed a game. Where the hell was Drake all season long?
Y’all are a bunch of killjoys. What have you got against fun?
Clearly you haven’t been watching the NBA for long. Trash-talking is a part of the game. And famous fan trash-talkers have also often been a part of it (looking at you Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson).
And obviously Draymond Green didn’t mind, so why should you? He took an IG vid of himself walking around Toronto today wearing a Drake sweatshirt and laughing.
Seriously, get over yourself. Loosen up. Live and let live. It’s a basketball game.
Actually, it looked more like Drake said “Nice try.” every time I saw the video.
The Curry’s Dad Jersey bit is hilarious.
YES. I actually do think that’s funny.
I’m not someone who gets super into sports. I mean, once in a while I get sucked in. I don’t really follow hockey (I’m a shameful Canadian I guess), but would watch my now husband play locally when we were in jr high / high school.
Anyone who’s seen the hockey parents at games knows how insane people can get. I have gotten so much second hand embarrassment from watching parents try to coach their kids as if they know what they’re talking about. I can only imagine it’s just as bad with football in the US.
Drake is kind of like those hockey parents. But at the same time, I’m cutting him a bit of slack. He CLEARLY loves basketball. And this is a historic game for the Raptors, so he’s EXTRA pumped. I have to say I kind of enjoy watching people get SO excited for something – it makes me feel good even if I don’t care about the thing they’re excited about.
The players are in on the fun. Draymond posted an IG video today playing along. Steph Curry is a good friend of Drake’s. Klay Thompson and Coach Kerr have joked around about it. Relax and enjoy.
I totally agree, not sure we need to yell at players who just lost the first NBA game not played in the US as the leave the floor, that seems a little low, as a Canadian I am bit embarrassed by that behaviour.
Oh my god people. Heckling the players is part of the game in the NBA. They joke about it all the time. Crossing the line = racist comments and the like. The rest of it is no big deal.
Dell Curry stood up at the game as a Raptor alumni so the Drake shirt was not as cheeky as one might think. Steph lived in Toronto for a bit while Dad Dell played for Raptors. And Steph’s wife was born and raised in Toronto. So might not be the epic troll move.
The tv coverage did not focus on Drake. And the supposed Drake sports curse is hopefully over.
The Dell Curry jersey is next level it! Love it! #wecookcurryinthe6 #goraptors
I thought that was hilarious! And the whole talking trash thing is funny, Drake is friends with the Warriors players and he even has Steph Curry’s and Kevin Durant’s Jersey numbers tattooed on his friggin’ arm that he had to cover up with a wristband last night lol
Wow really? I didn’t know that. Its all a show, and I’m here for it!
What a jackass. I am from Cleveland and therefore NEVER root for The Warriors, but I hope Golden State wins just so we can see Aubrey cry like the diaper wearing baby he is.
Hey! I’m from Cleveland, too!
Me three!!!
Yeah, the league might go the fine route for the Raptors.
I mean, Mark Cuban and Spike Lee have been in the same boat and the league made the threat of money. But Cuban just paid and continued on.
Spike Lee and Reggie Miller used to go at each other way worse then this
Go raptors. Love the jersey but yeah drake is becoming a distraction. Spike lee was also a distraction in the 90s. His interactions with Reggie Miller were legendary and over the top.
Drake is not a member of the Raptor’s coaching staff or administrative offices. He’s a fan. Period. If the NBA were to take action, it would be to ban him from games – not fine The Raptors org. Personally, I find the whole thing hilarious but if I were Drake I would have probably waited to see how the series played out before going on my rampage. LOL. There is still a pretty good chance that The Warriors will win the whole thing (although I hope not).
Drake is fine and all but he’s no Superfan Nav.
Yes! Nav!
Nav is the absolute best!
An AMAZING fan .. AND and AMAZING guy!!!!!
Drake likes to make things about himself, rhiannahs mtv vanguard award speech he made about him being in love with her instead of her career accomplishment. Raptors win game 1 and he’s making headlines for this instead. He likes to make others moments about him, it’s selfish
Raptors fan here – but Drake is a fool.
He’s embarrassing. Why does he make everything about him? Go away.
Go Raptors Go
Drake is making sure Americans watch the game. The ratings are low.
That’s what I was thinking. There is all this talk about how the league was so bummed out by the the Bucks/Raptors match-up in particular, because the ratings would tank. The same thing comes up when the Jays make the play-offs. Americans just aren’t much interested in what Canadians are up to. So the league should be thanking him for stirring up a bit of drama between these two teams!
I live in Milwaukee and when I tell you the whole city turned against Drake i mean it. The radios refused to play any of his songs. Ot was crazy.
Total look-at-me toolishness. Go away
Ummm. Drake is a huge fan of this team. Not just because he is Canadian but because he lives and breathes and reps the city of Toronto so hard. He has also been a clown at these games for YEARS. Made worse by his close association with the team(and all the perks that entails)
Having said all that, his behaviour was way more toned down at last night’s game than in previous games in the playoffs and he did seem to heed the NBA’s warnings. That bit where he popped off was at the end of the game(I think that is when I saw it), and hopefully in game 2 he will manage to control his behaviour all game.
I have no issue with him yelling and cheering and even hugging Raptors players, that is just annoying and extra but he should try to be less of an ass to opposing team players.
Torontonian here… many of us are embarrassed by him and wish he would STFU and sit down. Sigh. You guys have Trump, we have Drake. LOL. sigh.
So not funny. Trump is making the lives of millions progressively worse. Sad face.
Ugh we also have Ford who is like mini trump
Ford 2.0 at that. Ugh.
They don’t even compare.
Somehow I doubt it, but if Drake is the worst Canada has to offer, I’m moving ASAP.
We have the room. We have the climate too. It’s going to be 30C for the second day in a row. It’s approximately half that in Toronto right now if that’s what you prefer.
I think he’s over the moon that his team hasn’t been swept this year like in previous years. To be fair, he’s more than a fan. He’s been given an official position as “ambassador”… whatever that means.
As for trash talking Draymond, well, that guy is something else. He doesn’t exactly have a spotless history of respectful interactions. The camera didn’t catch the beginning of the interaction. Who started the conversation?
I don’t know how much you follow the NBA, but Dray has been very open about the decision to change his behavior since he had his son.
What did he do last night that was disrespectful or unsportsmanlike?
Before the game he did make fun off Drake’s basketball skills (see Duke airball) and fashion sense, maybe Drake is salty about that.
Draymond thinks it’s no bid deal, so don’t worry about it.
Draymond on Drake: “It is what it is. He a fan, he talk. It gets more attention because he’s Drake. So many people have complained about it, like ‘You don’t let other fans do that’. Yeah, any other fan isn’t Drake, so he should be able to do that. That’s how the cookie crumbles”
“He’s worked his ass off to be who he is and when you do that you get a longer leash than others. There’s so much talk, ‘the NBA needs to…’, no they don’t. He worked to be who he is, you should get more leash. I don’t mind it. It’s fun for me.
https://twitter.com/jlew1050/status/1134512833557909505?s=21
Draymond is a present and engaged father, Drake is trash. Go Warriors!!!!
+1,000,000 Acires! Exactly!
Draymond is also an extremely dirty player. He’s hardly a paragon of virtue.
No one is saying he is a paragon of virtue. It’s the hypocrisy of Drake calling someone trash with all of his messy shenanigans.
Don’t come for my team, the Warriors. Go Steph! Drake is a non-entity. Steph was right to laugh in his face.
There are a couple of radio stations here in California refusing to play Drake’s music until after the finals.
The jersey troll was pretty funny, though.
Go Warriors!
Do you think he’ll show up to a Warriors home game? I’d love to see how the crowd will act with him there !
That would be great if he did. I bet he would get boo’d. All in good fun though, I’m sure most are fans of his music, just not during these Finals.
I’m a torontonian and I LOVE drake and his antics and everyone I know loves it too. The raptors organization loves him. He is an expert troll. Maybe have a seat, relax and enjoy the finals?
GO RAPTORS!!!!!
One one hand it’s pretty funny, these guys know each other and are friends, for example if I went to any kind of sporty game with my best friends or sisters an they were playing each other I would behave the same, extremely excited and trash talking everyone from the sidelines.
On the other hand if Drake was a regular person, wasn’t famous and didn’t know these people his behavior wouldn’t be tolerated.
Since they’re friends, unless the players complain or say he really is a distraction to them I don’t see the problem, the players are the ones coming up to Drake after the game is over, Drake isn’t running out into the court so what’s the big deal?
Ugh. Drake is a troll. A funny troll, but a troll. Also, he’s actually friends with Steph off the court so I wouldn’t worry too much about anyone taking it personally.
Yeah, he even has Steph’s # tattooed on his forearm…which last night he had conveniently covered up with an arm band – lol. They also said that Curry’s family got a kick out of the jersey he wore. He trolls quite well.
He’s making people watch. It’s working.
And he’s making people talk and comment about it – right?!
The Drake is an entertainer and he’s bringing attention to a sport that Canada only has one team in now so, while I think he’s kind of an idiot, he’s getting people to watch the game. Go Raptors!
I’m with Steve Kerr on this one, Raptors in 8.
Love it!!!
Drake just want to make sure Raptor fans look fresh but lint rolling their clothes. I honestly think he is part owner of the team.
Drake is trolling and his behaviour will assist in firing up the Warriors. Dude needs to tone it all the way down he looks like a buffoon.
He says, “NICE TRY!”
Can’t everyone see Steph Curry laughing as he walks by?
It’s not even an issue. You don’t think any one of those players would party with him post finals?
NBA can front all they want, they want eyeballs on their game. Well here you go.
P.S. #TheNorthRemembers
Is that Tori Spelling’s husband Dean in the glasses to the right behind Drake in that first photo? He is Canadian
This makes me like Drake….
I’m in Toronto. I find it so uncomfortable knowing that amongst many of the people cheering for the Raptors, spuring them on,of offering Kawhi Leonard money, condos, etc to stay in Toronto, are people who exhibit anti-Black racist attitudes in their day to day life. It really bothers me. And I think the feelings many have about Drake stem from his privilege as a Black man having that much power within the raptors organization (and yes I know he’s biracial, but he is Black presenting and identifying).
Drake should focus on his illegitamate child and high risk one night stands and stop embarrassing the good people of Toronto!!
Oh please Drake is one of the few recognizable export to come out of Toronto. He put that artless, flavorless city on the map.
Dear Chimney – for what reason do you call Toronto artless and flavourless? Having lived there most of my 66 years, it is a city that is vibrant, multi-cultural, Canada’s business centre, a wonderful entertainment and theatre city, and a great place to live. Its art community is thriving, we have world-class restaurants, one of the most electrifying and happy gay communities and pride parades on the planet. Drake is the least of a litany of huge talent and entertainers the world has ever known. Do you know who Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Celine Dion, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Mike Myers, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling, Michael Buble, Sandra Oh, Donald Sutherland, K.D. Lang, Keifer Sutherland and Pamela Anderson are? I imagine you are American and full of typical American hubris but just do some research before you consign a world-class city to the dumpster.
@Jaded – As a young teen in Michigan I took a trip to Toronto for a sports team on which I played. I SO loved that city! I then moved out west in my early 20’s. When my two sons began playing ice hockey at very young ages (lol, we live in the desert), Toronto was our go-to city when we visited my parents in Michigan during school summer vacations. Oh, how we loved it! I remember Toronto as a clean, vibrant city. We visited museums (exceptional children’s museum), ate at great multi-ethnic restaurants (we stayed downtown), attended Bluejays’ games, did many things along the waterfront and, of course, went to the Hockey Hall of Fame at least twice each visit! My kids wanted to move there. I agree with your assessment. It IS a wonderful city.
p.s. As a girl growing up with three hoops-crazed brothers, my dad put up a net in our backyard where we practiced for hours each day. I know my basketball history as well. Kawhi Leonard is one of my favorite players this playoffs as I watch him leave everything on the court each and every game. A joy to behold. (Can’t lie, I respect the very talented GS team and their ability to “turn it on” at will – but it WOULD be refreshing to crown a new champ.). As for Drake… I can’t begrudge anyone their passion; he personally knows these players and loves the game. Imo, the tv production team is just grabbing onto whatever drama they can to encourage discussion/viewership of the NBA playoffs. Let the guy live.
As a Torontonian, I find Drake sometimes annoying, especially when he gets on the way of refs or players going on/off the court. But I think it’s nice to see such a high profile celebrity excited about the team. Maybe he could be excited in a less clownish way?
Would NBA fans really not tune in to see a superstar like Kawhi Leonard play the Warriors just because he’s in T.O.? Or just good, competitive teams go head to head because Canada? That’s just sad. Toronto is a huge basketball city…just look at the crazy crowds showing up to watch the game on screens outside the stadium in Jurassic park. That doesn’t happen anywhere else. I would’ve hoped being a fan of the game would transcend the border.
This is such a non-story. It’s basically about an athlete being heckled a little bit at a game, which happens allll the time and said athlete just laughed it off. Have some of you never attended a sporting event? Geez the people in Toronto are downright polite compared to cities like Philly or Boston. No offense to the cities. Just a comment about fan culture.
💯 heckling is a fun part of the culture. Players joke about it all the time. They expect boos and trash talk when not playing at home and many of them say it’s motivating.
100% correct!
Sounds like everyone (including the players) are down for the fun. I’ve seen a few clips of Kevin Hart doing some heckling, and it seems to be a similar situation. Lots of publicity, no one taking themselves too seriously, and some funny moments. The time Lebron stole Kevin’s drink and gave it to Drake was hilarious!