Drake is threatening to take off former Raptors DeMar DeRozan's jersey if it ever gets retired

Toronto-born entertainer Drake has been by far the Raptors' most prominent celebrity fan for some time. In 2013, the team named him its global ambassador, and through this role and his constant courtside presence at games, he has developed relationships with several key members of the team. For example, he was caught giving former head coach Nick Nurse an unsolicited back massage during a playoff game against the Milwaukee Bucks. But far more remarkable were the relationships he built with the players.

Such a player? Former Raptors star DeMar DeRozan. However, this offseason, DeRozan appeared in the video for Kendrick Lamar's song “Not Like Us.” The song was a diss track against Drake and part of a larger feud between the two rappers. In June, DeRozan appeared on stage with Lamar in their shared hometown of Los Angeles and danced while he sang “Not Like Us.” In July, DeRozan told The Sacramento Bee that he still considered Drake a friend.

“Drake is still my man, still my man, none of that has changed,” DeRozan told Jason Anderson. “It's so easy to be overlooked and just look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it's music, it's entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world took care of it and fought for competitive reasons.” This is what you want to see as a fan: Kobe (Bryant) plays (Michael) Jordan 1-on-1 and see who wins, see talk trash, and whoever wins, you'll still have the debate, so that's all.”

Well, it seems Drake doesn't quite feel that way. DeRozan returned to Toronto as a member of the Kings on Saturday, which also happened to be the night the Raptors retired Vince Carter's jersey. Drake spoke briefly on the Toronto broadcast of the game, and while it's hard to tell whether he's serious or not, he expressed hope that DeRozan, a four-time All-Star during his tenure with the Raptors, isn't the one would receive the same treatment as Carter.

“If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go over there and take it down myself,” he said.

After the game, DeRozan was asked about Drake's comments and replied, “He's going to have a long way to go to get it down, so tell him good luck.”

Although the Raptors have not publicly stated whether or not they plan to retire DeRozan's number, it is certainly within the realm of possibility. While he wasn't quite the cultural icon that Carter was, DeRozan played more games and scored more points as a Raptor. He didn't leave the team voluntarily and the trade for Kawhi Leonard ultimately led to the team's only NBA championship. He has said in the past that he would like to retire as a Raptor one day. In all likelihood, the Raptors will hang a DeRozan banner from the rafters one day, and when that happens, they'll just have to hope that any disputes between their ambassador and the former superstar are resolved.