Drake told by NBA to not come to Game 6 at Oracle Arena - NBCSports.com

As the time ticked away during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, a familiar face was nowhere to be seen.

Where was Drake?

It turns out it's because the NBA reached out to the rapper/actor and asked him to personally not travel to Oakland for any remainder of games that were to be played at Oracle Arena due to "security concerns," TMZ Sports reported Saturday morning.

"We're told the league expressed concern about potentially angry Warriors fans doing something stupid like taunting Drake or throwing stuff at him ... which wouldn't just put Drake at risk, but also other people sitting near him."

Drake's dad, Dennis Graham, spoke to TMZ and agreed it was better if he stayed away from the game that ultimately crowned the Toronto Raptors as NBA champions.

"When people see you in Toronto and you're making sideline things like that you have to be careful," Graham told TMZ. "With the rowdy fans, you can't take chances."

[RELATED: Drake, Steph share phone call after Game 6]

The back and forth between Drake and the Warriors created some drama and plenty of tension, so this was definitely a smart move on the NBA's part.

He ended up leading a Finals watch party at Jurrasic Park in Toronto and it appeared the Raptors' "global ambassador" had a great time celebrating accordingly. 

Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins was feeling a little sentimental on Saturday morning.

So the big man posted the following message:

. @KDTrey5 and @KlayThompson get healthy killas true definition of warriors! #dubnation thank you for all the support this season. You guys are amazing fans. Look forward to getting 100% healthy this summer. I’m at ya necks next season! 😤 🦍

— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) June 15, 2019

Hmmmmmmm ... 

Is Cousins telling Warriors fans that he will be trying to dominate the Dubs while wearing a different uniform next season? Or is he just saying that he is looking forward to crushing the opposition no matter where he signs?

It's unclear if there is a legitimate chance Cousins calls Chase Center his home next season.

He's about to become an unrestricted free agent and the maximum amount Golden State can offer him for the 2019-20 campaign is about $6.4 million.

But Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke to reporters on Friday and did leave the door open for a reunion.

"I think there's a chance," Kerr said. "I would say that the hope is that frankly he can do a lot better financially than what we could offer him. But who knows. Every year is different.

"We have to figure out our own situation -- particularly with Klay [Thompson] and Kevin [Durant] -- and how all that shakes out.

"But I could absolutely foresee a place for DeMarcus here if he wanted to come back. It's just a question of what are his goals, what is out there for him."

Free agents are allowed to begin negotiating with teams at 3 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 30.

Cousins will turn 29 years old on Aug. 13.

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Looking back at the long list of injuries the Warriors dealt with in the 2019 NBA Finals can never be used as an excuse. That doesn't change the reality of the situation, though.

Warriors veteran guard Shaun Livingston perfectly summed up how big of a bite the injury bug took out of Golden State in their six games against Toronto. 

“We were dying out there, to be honest," Livingston said to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears. "It’s crazy. … Kevin. Klay. ‘Loon.’ Dray [Green]. No excuses. Give credit to Toronto. Toronto is a good team. But we respect ourselves. No question.”

Let's take a quick look at the Warriors' injuries. 

• Kevin Durant strained his right calf in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals. He then missed over a month before returning to the Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. In the second quarter, he ruptured his right Achilles and will miss the 2019-2020 season.
• Klay Thompson missed Game 3 of The Finals with a left hamstring strain. In Game 6, he suffered a left torn ACL with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. He still scored a game-high 30 points. 
• Kevon Looney suffered a right first costal cartilage non-displaced fracture in Game 2 of The Finals. He missed Game 3 but played through the pain in the final three contests. He will need six to eight weeks of recovery in the offseason.
• DeMarcus Cousins missed 14 games after tearing his left quadriceps in Game 2 of the Warriors' first-round series. He returned for Game 1 of The Finals, though he clearly wasn't close to his full health. 
• Andre Iguodala dealt with a lingering calf injury he suffered in the Western Conference finals. 
• Steph Curry dislocated his finger in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. 

Going to five straight Finals has played a toll on the Warriors. They will likely look completely different next season, and two of the game's best players -- Durant and Thompson -- will be out for a long, long time. 

[RELATED: Why Warriors won't walk away from Klay, KD despite injuries]

There's risk with every reward, and the Warriors are now seeing the other side of always chasing a ring.

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https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/drake-told-nba-not-attend-finals-game-6-oakland-father-says

2019-06-15 18:35:55Z
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