Getty Drake pictured with Kyle Lowry during the Raptors-Bucks playoff series.
Drake is in attendance for tonight’s Raptors-Bucks Game 6 matchup. The rapper is wearing a black hoodie with “Kawhi Me a River” on the back.
Drake tonight at the Raptors vs. Bucks game in Toronto. 📸@_kishanmistry
Drake has become the face of the Eastern Conference Finals as his courtside status is a controversial part of the playoff series. After Game 4, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer publicly voiced his displeasure over Drake’s antics during the series.
“I will say, again, I see it in some timeouts, but I don’t know of any person that’s attending the game that isn’t a participant in the game, a coach — I’m sorry, a player or a coach, that has access to the court,” Budenholzer noted to ESPN. “I don’t know how much he’s on the court. It sounds like you guys are saying it’s more than I realize. There’s certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors. You know, to be on the court, there’s boundaries and lines for a reason, and like I said, the league is usually pretty good at being on top of stuff like that.”
As for Drake, it sounds like the rapper has no plans to change anything about how he cheers for his hometown team during the Eastern Conference Finals. Drake responded to the critics in an Instagram Story post, per ESPN.
If you don’t want the opposing team to celebrate and dance, prevent them from scoring, winning, or achieving their objective. Get over it and keep moving.
Georgios Dimitropoulos, a senior executive for Octagon where Giannis Antetokounmpo is represented, also voiced his frustration with Drake in a now-deleted tweet, per USA Today.
Imagine a gig & an athlete on VIP seats, right next to the band, stands up on the stage just to show off during the entire game, knowing cameras are on him, occasionally even massaging the singer. Security&him both allow it. Never seen anything as disrespectful as this before…
Drake Is a Global Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors
What is Drake’s role with the Raptors? Drake’s technical role with the Raptors is as a Global Ambassador. The rapper is officially a part of the organization, and the team was even fined in 2014 after Drake commented on Kevin Durant’s free agency. The team announced an expanded partnership with the rapper in 2018.
“Growth is inevitable with this partnership,” Drake said at the 2018 announcement, per NBA.com. “It’s something that I’m still proud and excited about and it’s something that still makes all other rappers jealous,” Drake said. “I don’t think it’s gonna stop anytime soon. We’ve got incredible people like Masai at the helm of the ship. I’m just really excited to still be here after all these years. It was surreal when it first happened and it’s still surreal to be sitting here with this guy, being able to give back to the best city in the world. I’m honored, and again, thank you guys for believing in us. And I promise you Raptors basketball, Canada Basketball, and Toronto as a whole will only get better.”
Mallory Edens, daughter of the Milwaukee Bucks owner, even trolled Drake by wearing a Pusha T shirt during Game 5. As long as the Raptors and Bucks are squaring off in the playoffs, Drake’s rivalry with the entire city of Milwaukee is not going anywhere.
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