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It has not been the best year for Drake, as he found himself on the wrong end of 2024’s biggest rap beef with Kendrick Lamar, whose final salvo in the duel, “Not Like Us”, lived at the top of the charts for most of the summer. Beyond that, Drake’s beloved Toronto Raptors have fallen back towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference, as they look to rebuild around Scottie Barnes but seem like they may have to battle through some lean years before they can get back in the contending conversation.
A 7-22 start to the season for Toronto has made them (and Drake) a bit of an easy target, and the latest to get some shots in at Drake’s expense were the Houston Rockets broadcast team. After the Rockets held on late for a 114-110 win over the Raptors on Sunday night, many fans raised an eyebrow when Houston’s play-by-play man said the Rockets were “victorious tonight against the Guangdong Dragons.”
That line was pulled from Drake’s response to Fred VanVleet’s farewell to Toronto two summers ago, when Drake wished VanVleet luck on the “Guangdong Dragons”, likening the Rockets to a Chinese Basketball Association team — but getting the name wrong, as they are the Guangdong Southern Tigers.
Houston’s announcers did not forget about this and waited more than a year to drop this line after a win over Toronto, although I think it would’ve hit much harder had they said “the Guangdong Tigers are victorious over the Raptors” rather than trying to flip the name onto Toronto. In any case, there’s still a week left in 2024 for anyone trying to get a lick in on Drake, as it seems to still be open season.
