“O, Canada!”
Drake has some serious love for his native country and it’s no surprise that he takes Canada’s national anthem very seriously.
On Monday night, cameras caught the “Started From The Bottom” rapper on the sidelines at Game 5 of the NBA Finals playoffs, belting out an emotional rendition of his country’s national anthem.
The “next level” performance of the “O, Canada” anthem was documented all over social media and featured a focused Drake rocking back and forth, swaying from side to side and singing the prideful anthem with his eyes closed.
Cameras also caught the Grammy-winner, who hails from Toronto, celebrating the end of the song with the Toronto Raptors mascot. The “God’s Plan” singer can be seen with his arms in the air and jumping up and down with excitement as the anthem comes to an end.
But the moving national anthem wasn’t the only thing Drake was passionate about during the dramatic playoff game.
When star Warriors player Kevin Durant was walked off the court during the game’s second quarter due to injury, the Toronto fan quickly ran to Durant’s side to console him and was visibly upset about his friend not being able to play – placing his hands on his head in disappointment.
Throughout the NBA Finals, Drake has not shyed away from showing his support for his beloved basketball team. But his heart-felt antics led to a chat with the sports league about his courtside behavior.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters at the start of NBA finals series that, “The league office had conversations directly with Drake and his manager, and I think we ended up in a good place,” according to ESPN.
The conversation stemmed from backlash about a previous mid-game shoulder rub Drake, 32, gave to Raptors coach Nick Nurse.
“I think in the case of Drake, as I’ve said before, I mean, we certainly appreciate his superfan status, and I know he’s beloved in the community of Toronto,” Silver said, according to ESPN. “I think certainly we don’t want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game. I think that even as Nick Nurse later said, I didn’t even realize it was Drake or hardly was aware that I was being touched, and I think those can lead to dangerous situations.”
As part of his other antics, during Game 4, the rapper famously trolled Golden State player, Draymond Green. As Green, 29, exited the court with the rest of the players, he came alongside Drake, who appeared to yell the word “trash” at the power forward after the two shared a heated exchange.
Drake also poked fun at Golden State player Steph Curry by sporting a throwback Dell Curry Raptors jersey to the Scotiabank Arena. Dell, Steph’s dad, played for the Raptors from 1999 to 2002. Following the game, the star picked something out of Curry’s hair while chating with him on the sidelines. Drake then took to Instagram and posted a video saying, “Steph Curry hair lint for sale on my eBay right now!!! username: DraymondShouldntWear23.”
In addition to Drake pridefully rooting on his team at the Toronto Raptorsat Scotiabank Arena Monday night, Shitt’s Creek actor Eugene Levy, who is also from Canada, was spotted in the Game 5 audience and joined the rapper in singing their national anthem. Star athletes such as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and pro tennis star Eugenie Bouchard, were also in attendance.
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