LeBron James Says It’s “Always Love” Between Him And Drake Despite Being In “Different Places”

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Drake and LeBron James talk after an NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers

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Key Takeaways:

LeBron James says there is “always love” between him and Drake, despite being in “different places” right now.
Drake appeared to respond to James’ support of Kendrick Lamar with a lyric and tattoo change.
The evolving tension highlights how Hip Hop rivalries can impact long-standing friendships in the public eye.

Even though they’re admittedly in “different places right now,” LeBron James says he’ll always have love for Drake. On Thursday (Sept. 18), the NBA legend opened up about their friendship during an interview on Speedy Morman’s “360 With Speedy.”

“Always wish him the best,” James explained. “Obviously [we’re in] different places right now, currently. He’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine, but it’s always love for sure.”

The Los Angeles Lakers star and Drake go as far back as 2009’s So Far Gone, so fans were understandably surprised to see James at Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out — Ken and Friends” concert last summer.

In January, Drake seemingly addressed James on “Fighting Irish Freestyle,” a record first heard in a now-deleted episode of Conductor Williams’ “Signature Blends” series. The Canadian rapper spat, “The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets / Seemed like they loved every minute / Just know this s**t is personal to us, and it wasn’t just business.”

Then, in July, the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker reportedly covered up his No. 23 tattoo — James’ jersey number — with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s No. 2 and “Thunder” arched above it. The three-time NBA All-Star notably appeared in the visual companion for “NOKIA” some months earlier.

Speaking to Yahoo! Sports in 2011, James opened up about his relationship with Drake at the time. “What we have is real family. It’s not just because we are successful at what we do,” he explained. “We really care about one another on a day-to-day basis. Anytime you get a friend [who] can come and support you in what you do, I really respect that.”

Whether Drake is open to mending fences is anyone’s guess, but for now, he’s locked in on his forthcoming solo album, Iceman. The project’s latest single, “DOG HOUSE” featuring Julia Wolf and Yeat, arrived on Sept. 8.