The game within the game -- there's a lot of talk about the behavior of recording artist Drake at Tuesday night's Game 4 between the Bucks and Raptors.
Drake was seen walking on the court, touching Raptors Head Coach Nick Nurse, and taunting Giannis Antetokounmpo.
We looked up the NBA's "Fan Code of Conduct. It reads in part: "guests will not engage in fighting, throwing objects or attempting to enter the court." So how close to the court is too close to be in violation, and was there a point when Drake was interfering with the game?
"I find it super annoying," said Greg Beals, an avid Bucks fan. "If you want to be a fan that's fine, but the touching of the coach, the sitting on the table next to the team and getting up in players faces, that's just a little much. Any regular fan would be kicked out for it."
We have a call into the NBA, which has not publicly addressed Drake's behavior. But a "fan conduct advisory" was put on every seat at Toronto's Scotia Bank Arena Wednesday morning, just hours after Drake's Game 4 antics.
The Bucks organization has chosen not to comment on Drake. But Head Coach Mike Budenholzer did respond to questions about Drake's behavior during a conference call with reporters this afternoon. Coach Bud said in part: "there's certainly no place for fans, or whatever Drake is for the raptors, on the court. There are boundaries and lines for a reason."
We did catch up with former Bucks player Jon McGlocklin, and asked him his thoughts.
"It's different today, there's so much more hype today than when I played" he said. "There are court side seats all the way around in all the cities now, and that's good. I think the NBA will handle whatever they feel they need to handle. But the intensity and the focus of players during playoff games is hard to explain. It's a whole other level."
Fans here are the first to admit that Drake's behavior wouldn't fly at a game in Milwaukee.
"He'd have the whole stadium against him," Beals said.
That is, if he ever has the guts to show up.
"His little sideline antics, yapping-off at Giannis and free back rubs to the coach are ridiculous," said Andy Riggs, host of Riggs & Alley on 103.7 Kiss FM, which is banning Drake music through this series. The station now handing out signs in the Deer District encouraging everyone to #BreakfromDrake.
