The longtime huge basketball fan has met basically everyone there is to meet when it comes to celebrities in sports and beyond. Drake is one of the most recognized and famous people on this earth, but he will never forget the day he met the Lakers legend himself.

Drake recently performed at the Crypto.com Arena as part of his It’s All A Blur tour and the recording superstar told the crowd a story of the first time he met Kobe, waiting for him to arrive at Lil Wayne’s tour bus so they could listen to Wayne’s not yet released Carter 3 album, via Crypto.com Arena:

@Drake reminiscing about the time he came out to LA and met Kobe #MambaForever #ItsAllABlur #Drake pic.twitter.com/Ky1cyA7G1B

— Crypto.com Arena (@cryptocomarena) August 23, 2023

The image of three absolute legends like Kobe Bryant, Drake and Lil Wayne sitting on a tour bus to listen to one of the most iconic rap albums in history is something that just feels unimaginable. It’s easy to see why this is a moment that Drake would never forget.

At that point in time Drake was nowhere near the megastar that he would become with his So Far Gone mixtape released six months after Wayne’s groundbreaking Carter 3 album. So a young Drake moving to L.A. and being in a room with Kobe Bryant at his Lakers peak was something he maybe couldn’t even dream of at that time.

Considering all of the most famous people whom Drake has been around, the fact that he still vividly remembers that first time around Kobe just shows how highly the Lakers legend is viewed by his peers.

Lakers star LeBron James & son Bronny James walk Drake out at concert

Kobe Bryant wasn’t the only Lakers legend getting love at the Drake concert as current Lakers superstar LeBron James and his son, Bronny James walked with Drake out to the stage.

Drake would also show love to LeBron, noting how he showed up to a release party for his So Far Gone mixtape and showed his support well before he was the star he is today.

Hachimura was an excellent target because of his positional size and mid-range scoring ability, though on a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis he needed to figure out his new role. The Japan native had ups and downs and even collected a coaching DNP from Darvin Ham before being re-inserted into the rotation.

However, Hachimura had everything click for him in the postseason where he became one of the team’s most pivotal players in each of their playoff series. His playoff performances helped him secure a three-year extension with Los Angeles and should be a key part of the team in the 2023-24 season.

Although Hachimura has been working hard in the gym on his game, he has been taking time to enjoy other activities. Recently, he was seen playing against tennis star Naomi Osaka who shared a clip of their match via her X account:

lil bro really thought he had it pic.twitter.com/FlxOs0U35u

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 21, 2023

Osaka has captured four Grand Slam titles and is a former No. 1 overall ranked women’s player, so Hachimura stood absolutely no chance against her even when she isn’t taking the game seriously. In the clip, Hachimura actually hits a good shot deep in the corner that Osaka has to reach for, but she manages to scoop it up and hit it back to the Lakers forward who couldn’t return it.

The offseason has allowed for players like Hachimura to take a break from basketball and it’s good to see him enjoying himself until the upcoming season begins. Fortunately for Los Angeles and their fans, Hachimura is much better at basketball than tennis and should be a valuable contributor en route to another deep postseason run.

Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt worked out with Phil Handy in Greece

Hachimura has always had the talent to succeed at the NBA level, but didn’t get much of a chance to truly develop with the Washington Wizards. However, he is fitting in well with the Lakers who have one of the best development coaches in the league in Phil Handy.

Recently, Hachimura and teammate Jarred Vanderbilt were seen working out with Handy in Greece. The two worked on their jump shooting and footwork as well as a variety of drills to improve their fundamentals.

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Anthony Edwards got much of the attention and rightfully so as he finished with 34 points, but Reaves and fellow reserve guard Tyrese Haliburton each poured in 16 points off the bench as well to help Team USA erase a 16-point deficit and come away with a 99-91 win. The Americans finished their exhibition slate a perfect 5-0.

Reaves and Haliburton were key pieces to an 18-6 run in the third quarter that cut their deficit to single digits. It was then Edwards who stepped up in the fourth and Team USA clamped down defensively as an 18-0 run gave them the lead for good.

With starters Jalen Brunson and Brandon Ingram struggling, Reaves and Haliburton finished the game for Team USA. Reaves got to square off with former Lakers teammate Dennis Schroder as well, something he was looking forward to, and he got the best of the now-Toronto Raptors point guard early on with an excellent crossover to get by him for a layup in the first quarter.

Reaves shot 5-of-9 from the field and hit both of his 3-point attempts as well in the contest while also adding a pair of steals, again showing his defensive prowess. The Lakers guard held his own on the block as he was oftentimes hunted by the bigger German frontcourt, and his second steal came with time running down wit his dunk capping off the impressive Team USA victory.

Schroder was a huge catalyst for Germany early on and he finished with 16 points and 10 assists. Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner led the Germans with 17 points and 10 rebounds while his brother, another former Laker in Moritz Wagner, added 14 points.

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with seven points, eight rebounds and six blocks and was an absolute defensive anchor for the Americans, altering shots and switching out on guards all game long. Mikal Bridges scored just seven points, but his lone 3-pointer was the one that finally got Team USA over the hump in the fourth quarter.

Next up for Team USA

With the exhibition season finally over, Team USA will head to Manila in preparation for the start of the FIBA World Cup. They will take on New Zealand in the opening contest of group play on Saturday.

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Although he did not throw out the ceremonial first pitch, James was in attendance at a Dodgers game for the first time since joining the Lakers, sitting in a suite with his family.

Dodgers president Stan Kasten went up and visited with the James family, presenting LeBron with a $100,000 check for his foundation.

That wasn’t the highlight of the night though as Dodgers star Mookie Betts hit two home runs in L.A.’s win over the Miami Marlins, saluting James after touching home plate with him returning the favor:

MOOKIE PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR @KingJames! pic.twitter.com/Y2ZJGVWTZJ

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 20, 2023

Witnessing greatness. pic.twitter.com/fORYezBorn

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 20, 2023

Two homer night? Mookie’s feeling like a King. pic.twitter.com/V04LRJNdOt

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 20, 2023

The King has arrived. pic.twitter.com/L8RsQfXA6n

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 20, 2023

James has always been one to support the other professional teams of the city he plays in, so it was cool to see him out at Dodger Stadium for a change enjoying a nice night of baseball.

And it appears he may be the Dodgers’ good luck charm as Betts put on a show with L.A. sweeping its double-header over Miami. Overall, the Dodgers have won 13 of their last 14 games to take control of the National League West division.

Betts giving James something to cheer about was returning the favor as LeBron has typically had good games when other L.A. sports stars are in attendance for Lakers games at Crypto.com Arena, whether it be Mookie or Los Angeles Rams players like Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford.

The Lakers and Dodgers both won their last respective championships in 2020 during the pandemic so there wasn’t much of an opportunity for fans to celebrate with no parade taking place for either. The city has been starving for another championship since then, and both the Dodgers and Lakers will have a chance to make it happen this year.

James switching back to No. 23 this season

The next time Betts or anyone sees James playing a game for the Lakers ay Crypto.com Arena, he will be wearing a different number after switching from 6 back to 23.

The move was made out of respect to NBA legend Bill Russell, whose jersey was retired across the league after he passed away last year.

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Greece is playing without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to knee procedure, though they are still considered to be the United States’ biggest competition in the group stage when the World Cup starts next week.

The Americans got off to a quick start in the first quarter, scoring efficiently from the field and building a 32-17 lead. Greece was able to chip into the deficit in the second quarter, but the United States still head an 11-point advantage at halftime.

Team USA left no doubt in the second half as they continued to execute well on both ends, playing balanced basketball en route to their fourth consecutive victory. All 12 players on the team scored, a positive sign in what was the team’s most complete game as a group so far.

Anthony Edwards led the way in scoring for the U.S., dropping an efficient 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting in just 17 minutes. The young Timberwolves star has shined in international play and is looking more and more like the leader of the young roster.

Cam Johnson has been a solid piece for the national team as his outside shooting as opened up the floor for the rest of his teammates. Johnson pitched in with 13 points, with nine of them coming from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been one of the most consistent players for the squad and that trend continued as he scored 11 points off the bench. Reaves is an established part of the rotation and was able to make plays on both ends to help the U.S. to another impressive victory.

While the U.S. should be happy with the win, there are still areas they can clean up. The Americans committed 20 turnovers, allowing Greece to hang around much longer than they should have. Rebounding also continues to be a sore spot as teams have taken advantage of second-chance points.

For the Greeks, Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis led the way with 12 points apiece.

Next up for Team USA

Team USA wraps up exhibition play against Germany on Sunday, Aug. 20. From there, they will fly to the Philippines where they will play their first three games of group play against New Zealand (Aug. 26), Greece (Aug 28.) and Jordan (Aug. 30).

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