'Never seen anything as disrespectful as this': Drake is slammed for his courtside antics during an NBA playoff game after giving Raptors coach Nick Nurse a shoulder rub and heckling Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Drake is drawing criticism after walking onto the court and interacting with players and coaches during the ongoing NBA Eastern Conference Finals
- Drake was named the Raptors' global ambassador in 2013 and is a member of the team's executive committee, although his exact role is somewhat undefined
- In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Drake frequently approached the court from his usual front row seat to talk with Raptors players
- Later while toeing the sideline, he performed an animated outburst of laughter after Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo air balled a free throw
- At one point Drake rubbed the shoulders of Raptors coach Nick Nurse
Rapper and Toronto Raptors 'global ambassador' Drake has crossed a boundary by interacting with players and coaches during NBA playoff games, according to Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.
In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday in Toronto, the animated Drake frequently approached the court from his usual front row seat to talk with Raptors players and laugh at Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. At one point during the Raptors' win, an enthusiastic Drake rubbed the shoulders of Toronto coach Nick Nurse, who didn't seem to notice or care.
Budenholzer, on the other hand, does care.
'I don't know how much he's on the court,' Budenholzer told reporters Wednesday, ahead of Thursday's Game 5 in Milwaukee. 'It sounds like you guys [reporters] are saying it's more than I realize.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Raptors forward Norman Powell (24) and center Serge Ibaka (9) celebrate with Drake during the second half of Game 4 of the team's Eastern Conference Finals series against the Bucks
Nick Nurse either did not notice or did not care that Drake rubbed his shoulders in Game 4
Toronto's Kawhi Leonard walks by Raptors global ambassador Drake during Tuesday's Game 4
'There's certainly no place for fans and whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors 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.'
Drake was named the Raptors' global ambassador in 2013 and is a member of the team's executive committee, although his exact role is somewhat undefined.
On Wednesday, a tweet from a senior executive for Octagon, the agency representing Antetokounmpo, called out Drake for his repeated trolling of the Bucks in general and specifically their superstar power forward.
Share this article
'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,' wrote Georgios Dimitropoulos, Antetokounmpo's former European agent before he was named senior director for Octagon Basketball Europe. 'Security & him both allow it. Never seen anything as disrespectful as this before ...'
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer does not think the league should allow Drake to walk onto the court, as he did during Game 4
The tweet has since been deleted.
Drake responded on Instagram with a screen shot of another post, reading: '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.'
He was hard to miss during the Raptors' win on Tuesday
The 32-year-old Toronto native laughed when free throws were missed by Antetokounmpo, who hit only 6 of 10 (including an airball) but still scored 25 points; Drake yelled at referees, and slapped fives with Raptors players all while toeing the sideline.
Budenholzer explained that he is not necessarily aware of everything Drake does during Raptors games.
Drake was named the Raptors' global ambassador in 2013 and is a member of the team's executive committee, although his exact role is somewhat undefined
Drake laughed when free throws were missed by Giannis Antetokounmpo (right), who hit only 6 of 10 on Tuesday (including an airball) but still scored 25 points. Last year, the NBA reportedly warned the world-famous artist about 'the use of bad language' after he traded barbs with Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins in the Eastern Conference semifinals
'You can't help but occasionally see Drake just going into timeouts or in and out of timeouts, whether he's encouraging or cheering for Toronto,' he said. 'You know, trying to talk to referees. To say I don't see it at all would be inaccurate, but to say I give it much or any thought, you know, it's kind of 'same answer, same mantra.'
'I just tend to ignore and focus on our team, focus on whatever it is we need to be doing.'
Bucks fans have certainly noticed.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently ran a headline, reading: 'Milwaukee totally hates Drake, somehow allowed to roam the court and troll Giannis.'
Last year, the NBA reportedly warned the world-famous artist about 'the use of bad language' after he traded barbs with Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The pair exchanged words as the Raptors and Cavaliers headed to the tunnels at halftime, and another harsh exchange followed at the end of the game.
Drake became the target of jokes in 2014 when he was seen using a lint roller on his pants during a second-round series against the Brooklyn Nets.
One of three finalists for the NBA's MVP award, Antetokounmpo was not asked about Drake after Game 4.
Because he is seated next to the scorer's table, alongside the Raptors bench, Drake is seen throughout NBA broadcasts in Toronto
