Wait, Is Toronto Raptors Fan Drake Rocking Golden State Warriors Tattoos?
May 4 2021, Updated 12:50 p.m. ET
In case you needed any reminder: Drake is from the “The 6,” aka Toronto, Canada. It’s where he shot Degrassi up on Morningside. The place he was raised. Basically, listen to a number of Drake songs and we’re sure you’ll hear a reference being made about his native city.
The rapper has certainly been showing off his hometown pride during the NBA Raptors’ run for the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy. Since the Canadian-based basketball team beat out the Milwaukee Bucks, the showdown between them and the dynamic Golden State Warriors begins.
While the A-list rapper is seemingly a Raptors superfan, Drake also reportedly has ties to the Warriors … in the form of a tattoo.
Yes, the NBA Raptors No. 1 fan, Drake, has a Warriors tattoo.
Drake will be rooting for his home team in the NBA finals, right? Sports writer Jovan Buha tweeted: “I might be trippin, but I think Drake tattooed Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant’s numbers (and possibly last names) on his left arm.”
The tweet was posted alongside a close up of the rapper’s forearm with the two jersey numbers clearly visible. However, he has yet to confirm if the tattoos are in honor of the NBA sports stars. Since the Raptors have been leading the charge to the basketball finals, the 32-year-old has been a constant presence at the games. In fact, his antics have even angered some fans.
Smash Mouth tells Drake to “sit the f--k down”
Throughout the NBA series, we’ve all seen memes of Drake antagonizing the other team, heckling the players, and even giving Toronto coach Nick Nurse a back rub. While the Toronto native is doing everything in his power to help his team win their first title, some sports fans are not happy.
The '90s band Smash Mouth may be known for their hit single “All Star,” but fans of the group know that they use their Twitter account for their savage (but hysterical) sports-related commentary. On May 26, the group tweeted, “Yo @drake When the ball is in-play sit the FCK down! That ain't gonna fly in Oakland! #GlorifiedMascot [sic].”
And, they didn’t stop there. Most recently, Smash Mouth tweeted out a photo of Drake cheering on Steph Curry of the GSW. “Here's a clue about our Tweet about @drake He's a @warriors fan and came out to Oakland for all the playoff games past seasons,” the group tweeted. Adding, “Shhhhhh...…..It's a secret!”
Will Drake be on his “worst behavior” for the NBA finals?
According to ESPN, Drake was contacted by league officials regarding his behavior at games. “The NBA spoke to the Toronto Raptors during the Eastern Conference finals about Drake's activity and presence on the sideline,” a league spokesperson told the outlet.
On Monday, Steph gave his point of view on Drake’s enthusiastic presence at games. "It's been entertaining," he said. "I know it's a tricky situation with him being right there on the court, but at the end of the day, he's having fun, you can't hate on nobody having fun. Well, I guess in this life everybody hates on people having fun. So it's par for the course on that one."
Raptors player Norman Powell also offered up his take on the “In My Feelings” singer, saying, “I like having Drake on the sideline. He's a great supporter, and it's funny how his passion for the team's really affecting the opponents, having opposing coaches come out ... you can see it's bothering them."
Game 1 of the NBA finals airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.