Who knew Drake was such a big fan of padel?
Spanish professional padel player Juan Lebrón Chincoa, aka “El Lobo” (Spanish for “The Wolf”) — one of the best padel players in the world — was a guest at the Toronto rapper’s second annual Nike NOCTA retreat, where it looks he got a game in with the host himself. Chincoa showed love on Instagram with a carousel of pictures and videos from the retreat along with a lengthy caption expressing his gratitude.
“Unforgettable days,” he wrote. “Thank you @champagnepapi for being so genuine and making me feel at home. I truly appreciate the connection we built. Grateful for the memories, the laughs and all the amazing moments we shared together. Thanks @nocta for making these days so special.”
Innocent enough, right?
Well, toward the end of said carousel, there’s a picture of a shirt that has “The only LeBron I rate is Juan” airbrushed on it — which, of course, caught everyone’s attention. It’s both a play on Jay-Z‘s line from the Magna Carta Holy Grail track “Oceans,” on which he raps, “Only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace,” in reference to Christopher Columbus and his late friend The Notorious B.I.G., and a playful jab at his former buddy NBA player LeBron James. The two had a falling-out during Drake’s battle with Kendrick Lamar in 2024, after James attended the Compton rapper’s victory lap concert “The Pop Out,” which resulted in Drake dissing him on numerous occasions since.
Drake also posted his own carousel on Instagram with a couple of bars doubling as a caption that starts with the claim that he’s been proving himself right over the course of the last two years since his back-and-forth with Kendrick.
“I spent the last 24 months proving myself right,” he wrote. “Of course I’m about to have the summer of my life/ Spent amounts on you that make my accountant roll his eyes/ Just for you to show me how you really roll when it’s go time/ I clearly have a type/ And I clearly only learn the lesson when the teacher is fine.”
Their mutual friend, former NBA player Tristan Thompson, told Shannon Sharpe earlier this month that he’s been trying to get the two to reconcile their differences. “I would love to,” he said after Sharpe suggested that he should get LeBron and Drake to bury the hatchet. “Listen, yeah. Listen. I’m trying, man. I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying.”
James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (July 24), so they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other this upcoming season since Drake’s Toronto Raptors also play in the NBA’s Atlantic Division. Teams in the same division face each other four times over the course of an 82-game season.