No musician, past or present, has blended themselves into the world of sports quite like Canada’s own Aubrey “Drake” Graham — and the feeling clearly goes both ways. On Thursday night, as Drake streamed his latest music live around the globe, athletes instantly flooded social media with reactions.
Longtime OVO ally Kevin Durant even travelled to Toronto for Drake’s album release celebration at Casa Loma.
Soon after, sports teams joined the conversation too, posting memes and online reactions designed to ride the wave of attention Drake consistently commands in today’s crowded digital landscape.
Drake’s connection to sports has been building for years. He has partnered with FIFA to help promote the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup — with speculation swirling that he could headline the tournament’s first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show for the final. He has also worked with ESPN on music for NFL broadcasts, and Canadian fans know him well as the global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors since 2013.
But on this latest release, the sports influence is stronger than ever.
Across Iceman and the surprise companion albums Habibti and Maid of Honour, sports references and athlete-inspired metaphors appear constantly throughout the lyrics.
Top 5 sports-related lyrics from the new albums
The 43-track triple album is packed with nods to Drake’s deep love of sports. From group chats to barbershop debates, fans have been dissecting the bars nonstop. Here’s a ranking of the five standout sports-related lines from “the boy’s” newest release.
Honourable Mention — Jalen Hurts on “Make Them Pay”
“And I face the way they paint me, but it Hurts just like the Philly Eagles.”
Drake compares himself to Hurts, suggesting both are often unfairly blamed despite carrying major expectations. The song also references former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas with the line about being “inside arenas like Gilbert Arenas,” a double meaning tied to Arenas’ infamous suspension for bringing a firearm into an NBA arena.
- Stephen Curry mention on “2 Hard 4 the Radio”
“Back when they was asking about where Davidson was at… now everybody got a blue 30 on they back.”
No athlete has appeared in Drake lyrics more often than Stephen Curry. Drake has referenced Curry on tracks like 0 to 100, Still Here, and Summer Sixteen, including the famous line:
“I been Steph Curry with the shot. Been cookin’ with the sauce, Chef Curry with the pot, boy 360 with the wrist, boy.”
This latest lyric revisits Curry’s overlooked college days at Davidson before he became a global icon. Drake’s admiration goes beyond music too — he even has Curry’s jersey tattooed on his body.
- LeBron James references on “Make Them Remember”
“I shouldn’t even be shocked to see you in that arena, because you always made your career off of switching teams up.”
“Please stop asking what’s going on with 23 and me.”
Drake and LeBron once shared a close friendship and business relationship, but things reportedly changed after LeBron was seen publicly enjoying Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” including during Lamar’s Pop Out concert in Los Angeles.
Drake now appears to question LeBron’s loyalty, even covering up his old tattoo of James’ jersey with one honouring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The song also includes:
“And Muggsy Bogues dunked for once, even I’m a bit amazed”
—a jab aimed at Kendrick Lamar’s height and a suggestion that “Not Like Us” was an unusual mainstream breakthrough.
- Paris Saint-Germain reference on “Firm Friends”
“My son is takin’ corner kicks in front of Luis Enrique at PSG. And y’all are talkin’ ’bout inflatin’ the numbers on DSPs.”
Here, Drake brushes aside accusations about inflated streaming numbers while boasting about the kind of access and influence that allows his son Adonis to train around elite football figures like Luis Enrique at PSG.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reference on “Hurr Nor Thurr”
“I told you to stop comparin’ yourself ’cause it’s not a race. You flew out and Shai gave your boyfriend a thirty-piece all in your face.”
Drake and Gilgeous-Alexander have developed a close friendship over the years. The NBA MVP candidate has often been spotted rapping Drake lyrics during warmups and even appeared in Drake’s “Nokia” music video.
The lyric works both as praise for Shai’s dominance on the court and as a personal shot connected to rumours involving both men pursuing the same woman.
- DeMar DeRozan mention on “National Treasure”
“When you was a part of the team, we used to be planning our Mexico trip in the spring.
We must’ve been dealin’ the spur of the moment.
’Cause why did we think you could get us a ring?
They braggin’ ’bout how you went home, the (expletive) are they on?
Crodie, we threw ’em away.
G Pop sent us a real one from Daygo.
And next thing you knew, we was throwing parades.”
This is Drake’s most direct sports-related shot on the album. Once close friends, Drake and DeRozan’s relationship reportedly soured after the former Toronto Raptors star appeared at Kendrick Lamar’s Pop Out concert and featured in the “Not Like Us” music video.
Drake revisits a painful chapter in DeRozan’s career, pointing out how the Raptors repeatedly fell short in the playoffs before trading him to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard — who then immediately led Toronto to its first NBA championship.
Given Drake’s history of publicly trolling DeRozan, from courtside stare-downs to tossing his jersey onstage, the tension clearly remains unresolved. The diss is sharp, personal, and packed with layered wordplay — exactly the kind of ruthless lyricism Drake thrives on.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. He holds CAVCO Personnel Number SINH0106. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
