According to USA Today the NBA spoke with the Toronto Raptors about Drake’s courtside behavior during the Eastern Conference finals.
During the series, Drake rankled Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer by often standing and cheering for the Raptors. His seat is on the sideline near Toronto’s bench, not far from halfcourt. During Game 4, Drake gave Raptors coach Nick Nurse a brief shoulder massage.
“I will say, again, I see it in some timeouts, but I don’t know of any person that’s attending the game that isn’t a participant in the game — a player or a coach — who has access to the court,” Budenholzer said the day after Game 4. “I don’t know how much he’s on the court. It sounds like you guys are saying it’s more than I realize.
“There’s certainly no place for fans and whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors. To be on the court, there’s boundaries and lines for a reason, and like I said, the league is usually pretty good at being on top of stuff like that.”
In 2013, the Raptors gave Drake the official title of global brand ambassador, and the Raptors have partnered with Drake’s OVO brand (record label, apparel, music festival) on multiple initiatives. The team’s practice facility is the OVO Athletic Centre.
This isn’t the first time the league stepped into to address Drake’s sideline antics. Last season during the conference semifinals against Cleveland Cavaliers, Drake got into a shouting match with Cleveland’s Kendrick Perkins. The two had to be separated. The NBA issued Drake a warning.
