Every NBA team’s most famous fan
By Dylan Hughes
Washington Wizards — Wale
Drake has a partnership with the Toronto Raptors, and another rapper has a partnership with the Washington Wizards — Washington DC native rapper Wale. Back in 2014, Wale was brought on board as a creative liaison.
The partnership meant that the Wizards would use Wale’s songs in player introductions as well as collaborate with him on designs for social media promotions and merchandise.
In 2013, Wale was talking trash to then Toronto Raptor Rudy Gay from the sideline. Raptor TV broadcast member Matt Devlin basically called Wale a nobody on air, saying he wasn’t as famous as Drake.
The broadcast continued with Devlin and his partner Leo Rautins talking about Wale, saying he was inspiring Gay’s good play and continuing to remark on how they didn’t know him. Wale visited the broadcast booth during the game, as he supposedly heard about the smack talk through Twitter. Wale thought he would come over and introduce himself.
Wale did not look happy, as you can see from the video. It was unfair for Devlin and Rautins to downplay Wale’s celebrity behind his back like that. Luckily we exist in the Twitter era, where nothing can be said publicly without everyone seeing it.
Back to the Wizards, though. Wale has been there through thick and thin, and props to him for staying true to his city. Learn from this man, Lil Wayne!