Report: Raptors Fined $25K For Drake's Pitch To Durant
(CBS) Well, this is a new recruiting tactic, and it's going to cost the Toronto Raptors.
Under its anti-tampering rules, the NBA has fined the Raptors $25,000 for comments that rapper Drake -- also the team's global ambassador -- made at a recent concert in Toronto with Thunder star Kevin Durant in attendance, ESPN.com reported. The NBA considered his words a public recruiting pitch, which isn't allowed to be directed at players under contract with other teams.
"Before we leave, I just want to show one of my brothers something," Drake announced to the crowd. "You know, my brother Kevin Durant was kind enough to come to the show tonight and watch us. I just want him to see what would happen if he came to play in Toronto. Let him know what would happen."
Durant then received a big ovation from the crowd, according to the report.
Durant can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016. The Wizards, Lakers and Knicks are known to already be readying themselves to have ample cap space to make a run at Durant.
