Whether he’s massaging Nick Nurse, trolling Steph Curry, or talking trash with Draymond Green, Drake is living the life of a fan we wish we all had.
For those of us not part of the Illuminati, putting ourselves into the game the way Drake has in the NBA playoffs is just a dream. Drake doesn’t just get to model authentic Dell Curry gear courtside, he actually gets to talk to Steph about it.
Drake: “You like this, Steph?”
Steph: “I think my dad hugged me wearing that jersey one time.”
Drake: “Well, who’s your daddy now?”
Sure, there’s a fine line between resenting stars who put themselves out there so much that they are part of the game and understanding the pure genius of it. If Drake is such and annoyance to the Warriors, isn’t he actually distracting the opposition so much that it’s helping Toronto’s cause? Of course, maybe he’s just fueling the opposition?
For now, Drake is winning. The Raptors are in the NBA Finals for the first time, having upset Milwaukee in the process, and now Toronto is up 1-0 after rolling through Game 1. This Drake dude is a genius so far.
Never mind Kawhi Leonard or Pascal Siakam, we’re talking about the Super Fan impact. Drake isn’t just an ornamental star fan (see: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Andy Garcia or all the way back to Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole) sitting politely on the sideline. He’s the embodiment of what we all wish we could be: Somebody who is part of the show. That dude who has the pull to get courtside seats at any price, stand up whenever we like and even talk directly to the players.
And even talk some good-natured noise to the players. In that way, Drake has crossed into a whole new level of fandom. He’s in an exclusive club of fans who don’t just show up and cheer, they throw their heart and soul into it. Drake has morphed that geeky passion we all feel for our team and made it a thing to be admired.
At the same time, the man has some work to do as he catches up with some of the greatest of the greats. Here’s a look at where Drake ranks among the great Super Fans of all-time: