Drake has been known for throwing shade rather than facing heat head-on, and Demar DeRozan was no exception. On November 2, Drake called out the basketball player while at the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors game (clearly still mad about DeMar’s “Not Like Us” cameo and support of Kendrick Lamar). He also allegedly called DeMar a “pussy” in passing.
In response, DeMar, at his post-game press conference said that Drake is “going to have a long way to climb to take it down, tell him ‘good luck.’”
Numerous rap fans supported DeMar after Drake’s foolery, including now-former NBA player Carmelo Anthony.
Carmelo and Rudy say Drake did too much
On the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast with guest and former NBA player Rudy Gay, Carmelo explained that he understands why Drizzy was upset.
“I think Drake was hurt a little bit because of the relationship he built with DeMar in Toronto … Representing the 6, Raptors — you know that was a lot of connection up there with those two. So I can see why Drake is upset, but from DeMar’s side, this is home, this is home team.”
Carmelo emphasized the connection between Kendrick and DeMar, saying regardless of basketball, DeMar “is Compton.” The confusion for some fans is that DeMar spent nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors and has been vocal about his love for the city.
However, rap and basketball are separate entities, and Carmelo’s POV is that DeMar is “a Raptor for life from a basketball standpoint. Yes, that jersey should be going up.”
Rudy Gay chimed in and said, “Drake is whack for that,” referring to Drake’s threat of taking down DeMar’s jersey if it was ever retired, to which Carmelo replied, “Drake did a lot when he said I’ma go up there and take it down. That part is a lot.”
Ultimately, everyone on the podcast agreed they could understand why DeMar hurt Drake’s feelings but disagreed with how he handled it publicly. “You gotta pull up on DeMar if you feel that way before you go on camera,” Rudy said.
While Drake hasn’t responded yet to these new comments from the duo, who knows how the petty rapper will respond to the players he publicly has shown love towards?
