Basketball fans are saying the ‘Drake curse’ is over after Toronto Raptors win first NBA championship

The infamous “Drake curse” has been lifted after the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA championship on Thursday night.

The Canadian hip-hop star has been blamed for losses by some of his favourite sports stars in recent years, with fans joking that sportsmen keep losing whenever they post pictures with the rapper.

As a Raptors super-fan, Drake celebrated the win by announcing two new songs to be released on Friday.

He also responded with an emotional statement that sounded like a mixture of slam poetry and a fast-food order…

This is poetic, you’ve just gotta watch it happen. The six in six, Kyle Lowry with the ring, Kawhi Leonard… bringing a 'chip to the city.

I want my chips with the dip that’s all I know. I don’t want my chips plain, I want my chips with the dip so bring them dips!

That dynasty is over. We did what we had to do…

Basketball fans were quick to declare that the win had finally put an end to the rapper’s unlucky run.

But you might be wondering, where does the “Drake curse” come from?

Here are some of the curse's most important victims...

The Toronto Raptors

The curse basically begins with the Raptors, when Drake became a “Global Ambassador” for the team in 2013.

Since then, the Raptors reached the playoffs on five consecutive occasions and fell short every time (until last night).

Was that Drake’s fault? It's not for us to say...

Serena Williams

In 2015, Serena Williams was set to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year (a feat achieved by only 6 singles players ever) until she suffered a shock defeat in the US Open semi-final.

How could Williams, the greatest tennis player of her generation, fall at the last hurdle?

Well, Drake had become one of her most vocal supporters...

Some believe that the Drake curse, which had already taken down the Raptors, the Miami Heat and England's national football team in 2014, was to blame in some way.

Connor McGregor

Drake posted a pic with UFC star Connor McGregor on Instagram before his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, in which McGregor lost in the fourth round.

His coach, John Kavanagh, recently hit back by threatening to roundhouse kick the rapper if he ever came near McGregor again.

Every European football player

The Drake curse has no mercy and has only grown more powerful in the last year.

In 2019, the rapper managed to inadvertently take down some of European football’s biggest stars.

It got so bad that AS Roma joked their players were now banned from taking photos with him.

Anthony Joshua

Joshua became the most shocking victim of the curse when he dared to challenge its power before his fight with underdog Andy Ruiz Jr earlier this month.

The British boxer posted an Instagram picture with Drake and a caption saying he was about to break the curse.

But his confidence was misplaced, as Ruiz shocked the boxing world by defeating Joshua and taking four of his heavyweight titles.

The Drake curse is a powerful beast and should not be messed.

But for now, sportsmen can breathe a sigh of relief that they can meet the Canadian superstar again without facing certain defeat.

HT: Business Insider

More: Footage surfaces of Drake kissing a 17-year-old girl on stage in 2010