Toronto Raptors Fined $25,000 Because of Drake. NBA thinks Drake is illegally trying to recruit Kevin Durant to play for the team. http://pitchfork.com/news/56261-toronto-raptors-fined-25000-because-of-drake/
I think they (the franchise) thought that by making him an unpaid 'global ambassador' he'd be above the law.
Not really sure how the NBA can fine them for someone that isn't on the payroll, and yet LeBron has been openly, publicly, nationally calling for Kevin Love to join the Cavs. I think I'm seeing a double standard.
Truth, sucks to get fined for a pitch that probably carried no weight. Ha! Started from the bottom now he's....here?
Drake will probably be at more Cavs games than Raptors game, I don't care where he's from. And if the Knicks became amazing, he'd be there. Guys a tread That being said, uhm, wow? What a weird precedent to set, fining a team over something like that. Really odd.
Yeah... I don't get it. If I was the Raptors I would contest it. He isn't an owner. He isn't on the payroll. He's a fan. Are they really going to start fining teams for what a fan says?
Are you sure he isn't? He's the Raptors "ambassador" which is delightfully nonspecific job with delightfully nonspecific responsibilities. http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9750332/rapper-drake-assumes-role-toronto-raptors-team-ambassador
He is on the payroll. He gets to write off expenses and gets per diem when he travels around the NBA as a Raptors ambassador.
For context [video=youtube;f3hkKhwzFz8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f3hkKhwzFz8[/video]
Drake also had LBJ at the event but LBJ didn't grow up wanting to play for the Raptors (Durant did) so I guess that plays into what the NBA thinks is tampering. Meanwhile Durant's high school point guard Greivis Vasquez said this without being fined...
Let's just hope the league never notices my Hibbert to portland thread or Paul Allen might hunt me down!
[video=youtube;0XiSSpcY8mo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0XiSSpcY8mo[/video]