Toronto Raptors fans feel like they know how this playoff run ends. The same as it has the last three consecutive seasons with an elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, this year could be different.
The Raptors are being led by Kawhi Leonard, who seems to be playing with the 2K sliders all the way down, averaging 30.7 points per game while shooting 58.4 percent from the field and 51.5 percent from downtown in the postseason. It also doesn’t hurt that they will not have to face a LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers team that eliminated them the last three straight years.
If Raptors fans are searching for a potential reason why they will be bounced early, they can simply buy into the idea that the franchise is cursed. The man responsible for their potential curse is the organization's global ambassador Drake, who has a known history of stifling a team’s title hopes by publicly showing his support.
The "Drake Curse," as it possibly applies to the Raptors, isn't lost on the rapper, who jokingly addressed it with reporters after Toronto eliminated the Orlando Magic last week, asking, "You want me to talk about the curse or you guys good?" Following the Raps' Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Drake may have attempted to deflect talk of his own curse by bringing up a supposed curse involving 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin.
A Google search with the words "Michael Rubin," "76ers," and "curse" only leads to a number of articles where Rubin publicly defendedBen Simmons' girlfriend Kendall Jenner over her being part of a widely believed "Kardashian curse."
It's hard to believe that there is any such thing as a "Michael Rubin Curse" that is impacting the 76ers since the franchise wrapped up a 2018-19 campaign where they won 50-plus games in back-to-back seasons for first time in 30 years. The Sixers have also made back-to-back conference semifinal appearances for the first time since 2000-01.
It feels like Drake was merely trolling with this comment, proving once again as one person astutely commented:
