Silver after Drake confab: ‘We’re in a great place’
Tim BontempsESPN
TORONTO — Forward of Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday evening, NBA commissioner Adam Silver defined why the league had a dialogue with rapper — and Toronto Raptors superfan — Drake about his conduct on the sideline throughout the Japanese Convention finals.
Drake’s antics gained consideration when, throughout Recreation four of that sequence right here at Scotiabank Enviornment in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks, he grabbed Raptors coach Nick Nurse by the shoulders throughout the recreation. Drake’s strategy was extra reserved Thursday, when he arrived for Recreation 1 in opposition to the Golden State Warriors sporting Dell Curry’s No. 30 Raptors jersey. Curry, the daddy of Warriors celebrity guard Stephen Curry, completed his profession taking part in for Toronto for 3 seasons from 1999 to 2002.
Silver defined his reasoning for assembly with Drake throughout his annual information convention previous to the beginning of the league’s championship sequence.
“I feel within the case of Drake, as I’ve stated earlier than, I imply we actually recognize his superfan standing, and I do know he is beloved locally of Toronto,” Silver stated. “I feel actually we do not need followers, pal or foe, contacting an NBA coach throughout a recreation. I feel that whilst Nick Nurse later stated, I did not even understand it was Drake or hardly was conscious that I used to be being touched, and I feel these can result in harmful conditions. You are in the midst of teaching a recreation and also you’re utterly centered, you clearly don’t desire anyone who isn’t in your group touching you.
When Sonya and Dell Curry seen that @Drake has a Raptors Dell Curry Jersey on 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/3O3dTzEr3V
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) Might 31, 2019
“We understood that on this case, given Drake’s relationship to the group, it isn’t the identical as simply any fan who occurred to be courtside touching a coach. However I feel that is an absolute shiny line that we have now to attract. In order that’s one instance and I might additionally say that I feel the problem for the league is that he has this ambassador-type position with the group. So he’s considered somewhat in another way than any fan sitting there. However on the similar time I feel there are acceptable strains that should not be crossed by way of how a competing group is addressed or the officers for that matter.
“As I stated, you realize, the league workplace had conversations straight with Drake and his supervisor and I feel we ended up in a great place.”
The rapper — who additionally serves as Toronto’s “world ambassador” — was in his customary courtside seat effectively earlier than Thursday’s recreation, sporting the jersey Stephen Curry watched his father put on throughout his time with the Raptors.
Stephen Curry was in center faculty throughout time, and he lived in Toronto for about 18 months whereas his father performed within the metropolis. Throughout a stoppage in play Thursday with three minutes, 5 seconds left within the first quarter, Drake and Curry had a pleasant chat earlier than Curry went again to Golden State’s bench