Drake and LeBron James have always been linked. They were championed as the successors to JAY-Z and Michael Jordan, and for many, they've lived up to the hype. They are defining pop culture figures of the 2010s, and continue to put up massive numbers despite being veterans. The parallels were easy to make because Drake and LeBron James were friends. They supported each other, and spoke very highly of each other's skills. Then, the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle happened, and all that changed.
LeBron James seemingly took Lamar's side in the battle. He attended the rapper's "Pop Out" show on Juneteenth. He went viral for dancing in the audience to multiple performances of the Drake diss "Not Like Us." LeBron James was also filmed telling Steph Curry how much he liked the song during the U.S. Olympics run. It makes sense that Drake felt betrayed by his high-profile friend. The rapper decided to unfollow James on Instagram on October 1. Then, a day later, James decided to throw it back and play Drake music during warm-ups.
LeBron James Took Shots To Drake's "Free Smoke"
The Lakers Daily Twitter account posted footage of LeBron James and the rest of the L.A. team getting ready for practice. The legendary athlete is front-and-center, taking shots while Drake's 2017 song "Free Smoke" plays in the background. The specific choice of song is worth noting. Drake's kickoff to the More Life playlist is packed with subliminal bars and disses aimed at his enemies. There's a certain irony in the fact that LeBron James is now seemingly counted among these enemies.
Rumors of Drake and LeBron James falling out have surfaced in the past. There was a going theory for a while that the Toronto rapper took shots at James on the 2023 song "Songs About My Brother." There's a few bars in which he tells an unidentified person that they aren't on the level of the late Kobe Bryant. It didn't gain much traction, though, as others theorized (and provided more evidence) that Drake wanted smoke with Kung-Fu Kenny instead. Regardless, the Instagram unfollow makes it pretty clear that things between these generational talents are not as cool as they once were. Nothing was the same.