Basketball was rocked on Wednesday with the news of the trade of Toronto Raptors all-star and fan favorite DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. The deal was praised as a good one for Toronto – it also include the trade of Jakob Poelt in exchange for a 2019 first round draft pick and Danny Green – but it still hurts for Raptors fans to lose a great player who genuinely loved the city and advocated for mental illness awareness.
As the city grieved, Drake shared an open letter on Instagram thanking DeRozan. "I want to say 10 million thank you’s on behalf of YOUR city," Drake wrote. "You are a fixture in Toronto forever and you gave everything you had."
Drake also included a note of welcome for Leonard. "To Kawhi...we look forward to a this new chapter and we welcome you to the most intense and supportive city in NBA basketball!!!" Hopefully that will inspire Leonard, who is reportedly not too thrilled by the trade.
The Toronto Raptors brought on Drake as their brand ambassador in 2013.
Thumbnail photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia