LeBron James Has A Simple Answer For His Strained Relationship With Drake

LeBron James is finally breaking his silence on his strained relationship with Drake. The pair had long considered each other family, but things soured between the two A-listers in 2024 after James publicly supported Drake’s rap foe, Kendrick Lamar. The tension only intensified as Drake continued to take subtle shots at the NBA champion in songs, at public events, and even on his own body. So, what does James have to say about it all?

Speaking with Speedy Morman during an episode of Complex’s “360” show, James spoke briefly about music before answering a question about where things stand between him and Drake.

“Always wish him the best. Obviously, um, 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 said.

As previously reported by The Blast, eagle-eyed fans noticed things were different between Drake and James after the latter was seen dancing to Lamar’s viral hit, “Not Like Us,” in the summer of 2024.

The diss track, which paints Drake in an unfavorable light and includes allegations of him being a pedophile, became an international phenomenon, sweeping the Grammys and even being featured during the 2025 Super Bowl.

Drake didn’t make any public statements after James’ appearance at the “Pop Out” concert, but the “Big Rings” rapper made his stance clear when he unfollowed a list of former friends, including James, on Instagram in October of that year. At an event later that month, Drake shared a poignant message about his “real friends,” while seemingly throwing shade at those who let him down amid his beef with Lamar.

“My real friends are definitely in the building,” Drake said. “But let me tell you that you’re going to come to a point in life where people you thought were friends, people you thought were close to you switch up.”

He continued, “They might try to move funny with you. They might stab you in the back. They might do a lot of things to you. You’ll come to that realization, wherever you’re at in life. You’ve probably been there and you’ll be there again. That’s how life is. Sometimes it’s you and you alone by yourself.”

The feud between the two legendary stars escalated in July 2025 when, during a performance at the Wireless Festival in London, fans noticed Drake had covered his James tattoo with a portrait of another NBA star: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“Why everyone on here tripping for?” a user asked on Instagram. “LeBron was his old boo, Shai is his new boo now.”

And they might have a point, considering Drake revealed back in 2011 that he used to text James before every big game to encourage the superstar before he stepped onto the hardwood.

“I always let him know that it’s his night,” Drake said. “Let’s get it, let’s go out there with a clear mind and forget all the other stuff going on and just stay focused on the task. That ring. Tonight, I told him it was his night. And it was his night tonight.”

Despite James’ diplomatic new comments, the father of three sparked even more controversy in July 2025 when he was again seen dancing to Lamar’s track during a party in Cannes, France.

In one clip, you can see the 40-year-old bobbing his head along to the catchy beat next to his wife, Savannah James. In another video, James appears incredibly excited, waving his hands and moving the rest of his body along to the song while reciting some of the lyrics.

And while Drake still hasn’t made any official statements on the matter, some of his most vocal supporters have.

Popular streamer Adin Ross fiercely defended Drake during one of his streams, calling James a “piece of sh-t human” for singing Lamar’s song.

“Imagine if your best friend for 15 years — and he’s met his actual children — and you’re rapping to a song about him being a pedophile. It’s sad. This is not my beef, but I’m very close with Drake and it’s just sad,” said Ross.

He continued, “You guys can call me parasocial, but it does affect the way that I like LeBron. How can you respect someone that has no loyalty with someone he has known for 15 years?”