The main story over the last almost year has been Drake versus Kendrick Lamar, but the Toronto superstar’s supposed fallout with longtime friend LeBron James has been a strong secondary plot. The 38-year-old rapper changed a line about the Los Angeles Lakers hooper in “Nonstop” during the opening night of his Anita Max Win tour in Australia, leading many to believe that their tension is more real than ever before.
In his 2018 hit record, Drizzy rapped “How I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?” referring to the four-time MVP wearing No. 6 during his Miami Heat stint only to switch back to his original number, No. 23, when he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, in Perth this week, he rapped “How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron, man?”
This wasn’t a one-off reference to a former friend or what he endured in 2024, either. When doing his new crowd entrance to the stage, he was spotted wearing a hooded sweatshirt with bullet holes in it and smoke flowing from the back. The internet spent time dissecting the meaning, and many landed upon the 6 God stating that no matter how much adversity is thrown his way, he is still standing. He cleared that up by reminding the world he is “still alive” at the end of the show. Watch the changed line and crowd entrance below.
Now, why would Drake and LeBron James have issues? Well, it is a result of seemingly “picking sides.” After the For All The Dogs rapper seemingly bowed out of his beef with Kendrick Lamar, the Compton rapper went on a full victory lap which included The Pop Out concert in June 2024. James attended the concert and was spotted rapping along to “Not Like Us,” which was targeted at Drake and accused him of being a pedophile.
During the Olympics, Steph Curry expressed that he was tired of hearing the track while LBJ expressed that he “loved” it. The five-time Grammy winner responded by posting photos of the Men’s Olympic basketball team to congratulate them on securing the gold medal but noticeably omitted his longtime friend from the pictures. Months later, he unfollowed the four-time NBA Champion on Instagram.
LeBron has continued leaning into the K. Dot praise as well. During his birthday party in December, he was spotted on camera rapping the lyrics to “Man In The Garden” from Lamar’s latest album GNX. He doubled down recently by overlaying the song’s audio over pictures from his game against the New York Knicks over the weekend.
Drake has spent the last few months reflecting on people who have turned on him, specifically rapping about it on “No Face” and the “Fighting Irish Freestyle.” While a beef with one of the greatest NBA players of all time was previously just speculation, changing the lyrics on “Nonstop” has seemingly made it clear this is all deeper than rap.
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