Drake Did Not Calm Down At NBA Finals Game 1
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Yesterday, just before the beginning of the NBA Finals, there was a news story about how the NBA had spoken to the Toronto Raptors about Drake’s courtside conduct during the playoffs. Drake, a superfan of his hometown Toronto Raptors, was courtside for every Raptors home game, being loud and intense and overbearing. There was a moment during one game of the Eastern Conference Finals where Drake ran over and massaged the shoulders of Raptors coach Nick Nurse, which the NBA was especially not into. So the NBA talked to the Raptors, and they talked to Drake himself. They wanted him to tone things down in the Finals. He didn’t.
In a news conference before Game 1 started, as ESPN reports, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke specifically about Drake: “The league office had conversations directly with Drake and his manager, and I think we ended up in a good place… I think there are appropriate lines that shouldn’t be crossed in terms of how a competing team is addressed, or the officials, for that matter.” But if Silver thought Drake wasn’t going to make the game about himself, he was sorely mistaken.
For one thing, there was the matter of Drake’s chosen attire. For the first Finals game in Raptors franchise history, Drake wore a Curry jersey. But it wasn’t Steph Curry, Drake’s friend and the star of the Golden State Warriors. Instead, it was a Dell Curry Raptors jersey. Dell Curry, Steph’s father, played for the Raptors for three seasons, from 1999 to 2002. And Dell wore #30, just like Steph. (A lot of Raptors alumni, including Dell, were at last night’s game.) It’s probably not the case, but I like the idea that Drake has a complete collection of crispy Raptors jerseys, in case he needs to wear one to troll somebody.
Drake going with the Dell Curry jersey tonight pic.twitter.com/T3DjH5DHqN
— Pascwob Siakam (@WorldWideWob) May 31, 2019
Even funnier: Drake’s armband. Drake literally has the jersey numbers of Steph Curry and fellow Warriors star Kevin Durant tattooed on his arm. (He’s rapped about the Warriors running practices at his house.) So for last night’s game, he just covered up those deeply embarrassing tattoos with an armband.
Drake is wearing the armband to cover up those KD and Steph tattoos. 💀#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/I9ZSJ6aK2C
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 31, 2019
At one point during last night’s game, Drake came nose-to-nose with Steph Curry, and during their brief conversation, he rooted around in the back of Steph’s hair. Last night on Instagram, Drake posted that video along with a picture of some lint in his hand, writing this caption: “Steph Curry hair lint for sale on eBay right now!!! username: DraymondShouldntWear23″
In what has to be considered an upset, the Raptors won last night’s game. And as the teams were leaving the court, Drake and Warriors player Draymond Green briefly barked at each other. After the game, Green disputed the idea that he and Drake had gotten into a scuffle: “It wasn’t really a scuffle because I didn’t hit him and he didn’t hit me, or I didn’t push him or he didn’t push me. We talked; we barked a little bit. But I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a scuffle. [It wasn’t] what I personally would consider a scuffle.” Keep in mind: Draymond Green’s idea of a scuffle is when he straight-up kicks an opposing player in the nuts. But yeah, no, that wasn’t a scuffle, he’s right.
But Drake did get a real warning last night. At one point during the game, Warriors player Andre Iguodala went sprinting after a loose ball, diving into the stands and coming within about five inches of absolutely decapitating Drake. I am sure this was all a total accident.
Iggy almost took out Drake 😳 pic.twitter.com/64CYWrmRyY
— ESPN (@espn) May 31, 2019
It’s perhaps worth noting, however, that Charles Barkley recently recommended this exact strategy for dealing with Drake.
"I ain't worried about no Drake!" 😂
Chuck weighs in on Drake's antics on the sidelines. pic.twitter.com/yUprcEQBfd
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 24, 2019
Game 2 of the finals is Sunday night at 8PM.
