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Drake has a reputation for being a bit of a bandwagon fan who has seemingly cursed a number of the teams he’s thrown his allegiance behind. That includes the men’s basketball team at the University of Kentucky, which he’s been rooting for since performing at the school back in 2009.
The rapper has struck up a friendship with head coach John Calipari, and after the Kentucky Wildcats were able to overcome the supposed “Drake Curse” by winning a national title in 2012, they presented him with his own championship ring with “DRIZZY” inscribed on the side.
Calipari and his players have also been able to reap the benefits of being tight with one of the most famous musicians on the planet, as Drake invited the team up to his house in Toronto over the summer and let them practice on the indoor basketball court he built inside his sprawling mansion (an athletic facility he’s dubbed “The Sanctuary”).
The Wildcats head into the upcoming college basketball campaign ranked at No. 16 in the AP Top 25 poll, and they’ll officially kick off their season when they face off against New Mexico State on November 6th.
Drake apparently went out of his way to provide Kentucky’s players with some fresh new kicks prior to the start of the year, as Calipari recently gathered his guys to present them with the pairs of Nike NOCTA Glides they’ll be able to rock courtesy of Champagne Papi.
Our guy @Drake hooking us up with some 🔥 kicks. pic.twitter.com/qj2WMt5hxY
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 19, 2023
We got our first look at those shoes when Lil Yachty showed them off on Instagram over the summer; it appears they’re an exclusive collaboration with the folks at Nike, who harnessed the team’s colors and slapped the school’s logo on the side.
I guess having the biggest name in hip-hop rooting for you comes with its fair share of perks.