So as it turns out, the NBA did not try to convince the Raptors to take Drake off of their payroll recently. At least, that's what the league is claiming now in light of a report that came out yesterday.
According to The Globe and Mail, the NBA offered to drop the $25,000 tampering fine that they gave to the Raptors last week after Drake shouted out Kevin Durant during OVO Fest 2014—if Toronto agreed to strip Drake of the "Global Ambassador" title that they gave to him last year. The Globe and Mail also reported that the Raptors refused to fire Drake in exchange for the elimination of the fine. But now, the NBA is saying that they never asked the Raptors to get rid of Drake; they simply reminded them that Drake needs to be more careful about "recruiting" NBA players to Toronto.
"As the Raptors' global ambassador, Drake must follow our anti-tampering rules," NBA senior vice-president of basketball communications Tim Frank told the National Post. "At no point did we suggest his title be removed but we were clear that as long as he acted as a representative of the team, he is subject to the league's rules."
Are you buying the NBA's explanation? It really doesn't make a whole lot of sense for them to distance themselves from Drake, so we're inclined to believe the league's statement. But it does seem like this could continue to be an issue since Drake is known for rubbing elbows with NBA players. So stay tuned.
[via Pro Basketball Talk]
