The 2019 NBA Finals start on Thursday night with the Raptors hosting the Golden State Warriors in game one in Toronto, which means there’s a pretty good chance that rapper and noted basketball enthusiast Drake will be cheering on his hometown team from the sidelines.
Drake, who was named an ambassador for the Raptors and is a familiar, if very rowdy sight on the sidelines of many NBA games, might be a little more subdued for game one than he was during the Eastern Conference Finals, where he notably gave the Raptors head coach a shoulder massage during a game and wandered on the sidelines.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he spoke with Drake about appropriate spectator behavior as a die-hard fan.
“I think Drake understands that as excited as he is, and appreciative of we are of his support, there’s gotta be lines drawn. And obviously you don’t want to end up touching a coach because the coach may not realize what’s going on in the middle of the action,” Silver said.
“I think there’s a line too in terms of sitting right on the floor, in terms of engagement whether it’s with the referees and players on other teams. It’s hard to calibrate sometimes exactly where that line is and I think he has a better understanding now of where that line is…there’s been conversations that’s taken place. It’s more just, let’s find where that right line is.”
ESPN also reports that the NBA spoke to the Toronto Raptors following their Eastern Conference victory about the “activity and presence on the sideline” of their very passionate ambassador.
See Drake’s sideline antics below.
- Can Birth Control Help Solve the World's Rat Problem?
- About That Devastating Tom-Shiv Scene in Succession's Premiere
- Why Humza Yousaf's Win Is 'Historic' for Scotland
- For Both Donald Trump and Alvin Bragg, the Central Park Jogger Case Was a Turning Point
- If Donald Trump Is Indicted, Here's What Would Happen Next in the Process
- Alison Roman Won't Sugarcoat It
- Why Not All Observant Muslims Fast During Ramadan
- It's Time to Say a Loving Goodbye to John Wick
- Who Should Be on the 2023 TIME100? Vote Now
- Column: Ozempic Exposed the Cracks in the Body Positivity Movement