In a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, former rapper and media personality Joe Budden expressed his frustration with Drake’s recent behavior toward Sacramento Kings player DeMar DeRozan. Budden felt that Drake’s actions crossed the line from friendly competition into personal disrespect, creating tension between the two.Budden began by dissecting Drake’s attempts to “intimidate” DeRozan at the game.
He explained, “I’m not mad at him. He should feel a way. It’s never the conflict, it’s the inability to navigate conflict.”
In Budden’s view, it wasn’t necessarily the rivalry that was the problem but rather the manner in which Drake handled it. He went on to describe how Drake’s behavior—“standing at the game, the ice grilling, the face, the mumbling under the breath”seemed unnecessary and confrontational. Despite this, Budden joked that he and others might hold back their criticisms out of mutual respect, but he ultimately found Drake’s actions to be somewhat cowardly, as he humorously called him a “b*ttch.”
Budden continued his critique by recalling the animated, confrontational energy Drake brought to the game. “He went to the game and cut his eyes,” Budden said, referring to Drake’s frequent gestures during the match, which included intense staring and mumbling that some might interpret as taunts. “These are the duck lips of death!” Budden joked, suggesting that Drake’s facial expressions and posturing were more performative than threatening. Budden even went so far as to jest about throwing a ball at Drake if he continued these antics.
A deeper layer to the conflict is the influence of Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us and its impact on DeRozan. Budden suggested that Drake might have taken this song, and the pride associated with it, too seriously. The track has become an anthem for West Coast pride, and Budden speculated that Drake may have felt a personal sting from the song’s popularity, particularly because DeRozan, who hails from Compton, California, appeared in the song’s video and in Kendrick’s concert at The Forum in Inglewood. “I think that Drake takes ‘Not Like Us’ really, really serious, as he should, and I think a lot of West Coast people just took a West Coast pride in that song,” Budden shared. However, he added that DeRozan might not view his appearance in the video as a betrayal or statement against Drake, suggesting that he didn’t perceive the song’s message as confrontational.
The tension between Drake and DeRozan became even more pronounced during a recent Sacramento Kings game. The Kings faced off against DeRozan’s former team, the Toronto Raptors, in a close 131-128 overtime game. During the game, Drake, who is a longtime Raptors fan and once shared a friendship with DeRozan when he played for Toronto, made a pointed remark that sparked additional controversy. “If you ever put a DeRozan banner up, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself,” Drake commented, further escalating the situation.
DeRozan, however, responded calmly at the post-game press conference. He acknowledged Drake’s statement and replied, “He’s going to have a long way to climb to take it down.” His response suggested he wasn’t taking the comment personally and was prepared to handle Drake’s words with a measured tone.
The drama also pulled in others associated with the Sacramento Kings organization, including owner Vivek Ranadivé, who decided to make his own statement. At the following game against the Raptors, Ranadivé wore a shirt emblazoned with the words Not Like Us, a nod to the Kendrick Lamar song. This added another layer of symbolism to the incident, implying that even the organization was indirectly siding with the West Coast pride embodied by Lamar’s track, effectively supporting DeRozan’s presence and legacy in the NBA.
Though Drake and DeRozan were once close friends during the latter’s time as a Toronto Raptor, it seems that their bond has been tested by both Kendrick Lamar’s music and recent heated exchanges. The friendly relationship has become strained, with Drake seemingly doubling down on his Raptors loyalty at the expense of a personal friendship.
Budden’s perspective on the issue highlighted a broader point about conflict and respect. While rivalries are part of sports and entertainment, he argued that there is a way to handle these conflicts without crossing into disrespect. Budden’s commentary called out what he saw as Drake’s unnecessary escalation of the situation and his failure to handle the rivalry in a respectful, amicable manner.
The incident serves as a reminder of the sometimes blurred lines between personal relationships and sports or entertainment loyalty, especially when high-profile personalities like Drake and Budden are involved. Whether this rivalry will continue to grow or eventually settle remains to be seen, but for now, it’s clear that Joe Budden views Drake’s recent behavior as less than admirable.
