Drake’s Dispute with Former Toronto Raptors All-Star Detailed

While Drake is known for disputes with fellow rappers, his recent disagreement with a basketball player may have surprised some observers. The prominent rap artist is a well-known supporter of the Toronto Raptors, the sole Canadian team in the NBA, and frequently attends their games courtside. He has reportedly formed friendships with both current and former players, such as DeMar DeRozan, who visited the Raptors’ Scotiabank Arena on Saturday as a member of the opposing Sacramento Kings. However, the artist known for “Hotline Bling” did not extend a warm reception to his former acquaintance. During the game over the weekend, the Raptors honored former player Vince Carter by retiring his jersey. This practice is a standard NBA tribute to recognize notable former players, involving the display of their jersey numbers on banners within arenas. DeRozan, a six-time NBA All-Star who played for the Raptors from 2009 to 2018, is considered a strong candidate for such an honor. Nevertheless, while speaking on the Canadian Sports network TSN, Drake stated: “If you ever put a DeRozan banner up, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.” Responding to reporters’ questions about Drake’s remarks after the game, DeRozan retorted: “He’s going to have a long way to climb to take it down, so tell him good luck.” DeRozan was featured in the music video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a provocative diss track targeting Drake that gained significant online attention upon its release earlier this year. The basketball player also joined Lamar on stage during a performance of the song in Los Angeles over the summer. At that time, DeRozan informed reporters that he continued to regard Drake as a friend, likening the dispute to a high-profile confrontation akin to Michael Jordan competing against Kobe Bryant. Drake’s concise statement, however, suggests that the rapper’s sentiments may differ. Nevertheless, he can find solace in the Raptors’ 131-128 victory over the Kings. Newsbeat is available live at 12:45 and 17:45 on weekdays, or can be accessed for playback here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Further information regarding our external linking policy is available.