The Drake Curse: Is It Real and Will It Continue?
Curses exist in nearly every sport. Even the least superstitious fans and players will change the things they do and wear based on how it allegedly impacts a game. A curse, however, happens when a team least expects it. A video game cover, a trade, a billy goat, or in the case of some unlucky teams, a successful rapper and former Degrassi star known as Drake.
The Drake Curse
Drake has always been an outspoken sports fan. His loud presence at games is often highlighted by TV crews and fans on social media. Many people, however, have noticed a trend surrounding the Grammy Award-winning rapper.
Like a broken mirror or a spilled salt shaker, Drake has been known to arrive at a game and sport a team’s gear only to watch them lose, often horrifically. Some teams have even taken precautions against the curse.
Fans and media have declared it a curse. From basketball and hockey to tennis and MMA, nobody is safe from the Drake curse. While it may not be a provable correlation, the results of Drake’s presence have reaped hilariously consistent results.
The 2015 U.S. Open
At the 2015 U.S. Open, Serena Williams was picking opponents off left and right. She looked as good as ever, and many assumed she would easily add another trophy to her case. Drake decided to cheer on Williams in the semifinals, where the unranked Roberta Vinci awaited. Shocking everyone, Vinci upset Williams, and Drake was there to watch the entire thing.
UFC 229
UFC star Conor McGregor called on Drake to attend his weigh-in for a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. So Drake did just that, with an Irish flag across his shoulder.
The rapper gave McGregor some words of motivation for the much-anticipated event. However, not only did McGregor dramatically lose the fight, but he got into a second altercation afterward.
2019 NHL Playoffs
At a 2019 playoff game between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, Drake attended in support of his hometown team. Sensing the curse, several fans expressed discomfort with his presence at the playoff game. The Leafs lost the game 6-4.
Roll Tide!
Before the 2019 college football championship, as Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide prepared to take on Clemson for the National Championship, Drake showed his support for Alabama by posting a video of himself motivating Saban’s team. The Crimson Tide responded to Drake’s motivation with a 44-16 loss.
Kentucky Basketball
Last winning a college basketball championship in 2014, the Kentucky Wildcats, who Drake vocally supports, have continuously come up short. Although they may have won that 2014 title, several of their teams have been favorites to win the championship. All of them have fallen short.
Breaking the Drake curse?
Perhaps, the most notable Drake curse involves his love for the Toronto Raptors. He was, after all, named an ambassador to the team in 2013. From losing to a washed-up Paul Pierce twice to continued losses at the hands of LeBron James, the team consistently disappointed in the playoffs.
The Raptors, however, finally broke the Drake curse in 2019 after the Warriors failed to beat them in the NBA Finals. With that win, many declared an end to the curse. Some see it as an exception that will simply linge through future losses; some see Kawhi Leonard’s immediate departure as the first of many to come.
