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There's someone out there confident enough to wager $620,000 on the Minnesota Timberwolves to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis.
But that bet might leave some superstitious Timberwolves fans sweating.
Canadian rapper Drake posted a receipt of his $620,000 wager on the Wolves in an Instagram story on Friday with the caption: "Lemme see sum real quick Ant." But ... Drake hasn't always had the best track record with his sports betting.
Many sports fans are familiar with what's known as the "Drake curse," where it's believed whatever team the "Started from the Bottom" singer bets on is bound to lose. An example last year was him placing $500,000 bets on the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Mavericks to win the Stanley Cup Final and the NBA Finals, respectively. Both teams ultimately lost their series.
The curse isn't exclusive to betting, either. Other victims of the Drake curse are quarterback Johnny Manziel and former Wolves star Andrew Wiggins, who were the focus of the rapper's 2014 song "Draft Day" and entered the NFL and NBA with lofty expectations. Neither have met them, and Manziel's NFL career even ended early. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who stars for Drake's hometown Toronto Blue Jays, fell into a slump after meeting Drake following his red-hot debut in 2019.
The examples go on and on and on.
But something to consider for worried Wolves fans: The curse may be just a little overblown. Drake is actually up $2.24 million in his sports bets all time, according to thedrakecurse.com. And he also hit on his most recent bet when he wagered $370,000 on Alexander Volkanovsk to beat Diego Lopes in a UFC main event earlier in April. Either way, the Wolves have the chance to break the curse Friday when they tip off against the Lakers at 8:30 p.m. CT at Target Center.
More must-reads:
- Lakers get encouraging Luka Doncic injury update
- Hawks move to add big-man depth with Rockets G League standout
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
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NBA Executive Predicts a Deep Playoff Run From the Lakers: Report
The Los Angeles Lakers were quick to take action regarding what the team needs. During the 2024-25 NBA season, it was evident that they needed a solid big man after trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. At the start of free agency, they signed Deandre Ayton to a two-year contract. Ayton isn't on the same level as Davis, but he's been a solid starting center since he entered the NBA. Additionally, the team signed a reliable shooter in Jake LaRavia, a 37.1% shooter from downtown, to a two-year contract. The latest addition to the roster is veteran guard Marcus Smart. The former Boston Celtics guard has played for underachieving teams over the past two seasons. The Lakers signed Smart to a two-year deal. Now that he's with the Lakers, he adds a defensive tenacity that could help them become a serious playoff team. Following the moves they made this summer, one anonymous executive believes the team has "gotten better." The executive went as far as to say that the team could make a deep playoff run, even hinting at a potential appearance in the Western Conference finals. “They were the third seed last year and did that without a starting-level center,” the NBA exec said. “They definitely got better by adding Ayton and Smart. I can see them making the conference finals. You can never count out LeBron. I don’t care how old he is. He’s still amazing offensively. And everyone keeps talking about how great Luka looks after his weight loss. He’s probably hungry to win it all next season.” The only problem the Lakers encountered last year as a third seed in the West was the lack of a reliable center. They depended on Jaxson Hayes, who was limited by head coach JJ Redick, in their first-round battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, they have a strong big man, who many believe could fit well with Doncic's pass-first style on the court.
Chicago Cubs’ surprising unsung hero may be gone after this season
The Chicago Cubs have had a lot of highlights this season, despite their recent downward trajectory and the bundles of frustration that go along with that. Surprisingly, there are almost as many breakthroughs and redemption stories among the pitching staff as there are among the more well-publicized position players. Playing the role of unsung hero and/or under-the-radar linchpin is the unlikely veteran Brad Keller, who seamlessly slid into a middle-relief role and has excelled. A Chicago Cubs’ unsung hero Brought into spring training as a non-roster invitee, the then-29-year-old Keller showcased more than a bit of the brilliance that he had occasionally touched upon over the previous seven years in his major league career. Thought to be little more than a depth piece by most, Keller surprised just about everyone, except manager Craig Counsell, who reportedly played a pivotal role in bringing him to the team. He even added upwards of 3.5 mph to his four-seam fastball en route to earning a spot on the Cubs’ 26-man roster. Keller’s top notch spring training run has extended into the regular season. So far this year, in 54.1 innings over 51 appearances, he’s posting an impressive 2.48 ERA with 55 strikeouts vs. 16 walks and a 58.3% groundball rate. Under-the-radar, but not unappreciated On Saturday, filling in for an under-the-weather Daniel Palencia, he struck out the side in the ninth inning to close out the Cubs’ 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. “If you’re not the closer, maybe, it doesn’t have a lot of fanfare on it, but Brad’s had an excellent season, a really valuable season for us,” Counsell told reporters after the game. “If there is such a thing as an unsung hero for this team so far, I would definitely nominate Brad for that…This is a different role for him starting this season and he’s responded really well to every challenge put in front of him…” The rocky road here Keller was drafted in the eighth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013, but was then selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, who proceeded to trade him to the Kansas City Royals. He impressed in his 2018 rookie season, working as both a starter and a reliever, with a 3.08 ERA in 41 games. He would eventually go on to earn a full-time starter gig with the Royals, but have diminishing success in that role after the Covid-shortened 2020 season. He was then put back in a swing man role before eventually becoming a free agent at the end of 2023. Last season, he delivered a 5.44 ERA in 16 games split between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. He was brought to spring training by the Cubs as a non-roster invitee, eventually earning a roster spot in the bullpen and a modest $1.5 million contract. He’ll be a free agent once again at the end of this season and there’s zero doubt that his asking price will go up significantly. “This is a pitcher who had big success in the league at a younger age,” Counsell told The Athletic back in late February. “I always take note of that. It’s in there. That’s the guy we want.” And the Cubs got that guy they wanted. Now, the question turns to whether the team will pay the price to keep him.
Milwaukee Brewers: Craig Counsell Blasts Former Team’s 14-Game Winning Streak, Gets Caught Lying
The Milwaukee Brewers saw their 14-game win streak, the longest in franchise history, come to an end on Sunday afternoon in an extra innings loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Milwaukee’s bats, which had been red hot for weeks, suddenly cooled and the taxed bullpen could not close out the game, which the Brewers led in the ninth inning. Now, Milwaukee will look to start a new win streak as they head to Chicago for a five-game series, which will be played in a four-day span, against the Cubs. Of course, the Brewers and Cubs have one of the most intriguing rivalries in the game as Chicago’s manager, Craig Counsell, is the winningest skipper in Milwaukee’s franchise history. But, after the 2022 season, Counsell ditched the Brewers, the team his father worked for and he himself played for Milwaukee for a good portion of his career in order to take the Cubs’ job away from David Ross, who was still the team’s manager when they decided to hire their former rival. Earlier this season, Chicago led Milwaukee in the standings by as many as 6.5 games, but now, thanks to the Brewers’ long run of stellar play, are eight games behind the Brewers in the standings. Chicago Cubs Manager Craig Counsell Doesn’t Think the Milwaukee Brewers Are Doing Anything Great Counsell, who still resides in Whitefish Bay on Milwaukee’s north side, is not much loved anymore by Brewers fans, and he has done little to save face in their eyes with comments he has made about the team since joining their I-94 rivals. He added more fuel to the fire in a recent interview with the Chicago Sun Times, Counsell was asked about his thoughts on the Brewers’ winning streak. “What’s so great about it?” he responded. “They’re playing good. I mean, they’re playing great. They haven’t lost since we played them.” And then, to the bewilderment of many, Counsell claimed that, despite being a Milwaukee native, he had “never seen” a George Webb’s” restaurant. Former Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell Flat Out Lied Aside from saying that Milwaukee’s 14-game winning streak was not that great, Counsell flat-out lied about his knowledge of George Webb’s. As fans may recall, he himself was the manager of the Brewers the last time they won 12 games in a row, the needed amount of consecutive wins for fans to be able to claim a free hamburger at the local chain. Local fans and reporters quickly unearthed a story from 2018, the year the Brewers won 12 consecutive games (eight at the end of the regular season and their first four postseason games) in which Counsell talks about the giveaway: “I remember the concept of free hamburgers going back so long, it’s hard to believe that it’s never happened since then.” At this point, it is not hard to determine why Counsell said what he said on Sunday. He is just stoking the fires of what is sure to be a hard-fought five-game series in Chicago.
Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur Delivers Dire Update on Running Back Marshawn Lloyd
As is the case heading into training camp every year, the Green Bay Packers, along with every NFL team, hopes that they will get through the preseason schedule unscathed by injury. However, as is the nature of football, injuries do happen and teams/players hope that none of them are too serious. Unfortunately, though, it is not uncommon for teams to lose a player or two (or more) for significant amounts of time in the regular season due to injuries they suffered during training camp. Such was the case last year for two of the Packers’ first three draft picks. First round pick Jordan Morgan missed some significant time before and during the season due to a shoulder injury and only appeared in six games. Third round pick Marshawn Lloyd had an even worse time, missing part of training camp with multiple soft tissues injuries. Then, when he finally returned for Week Two, he hurt his ankle and was placed on the injured list, missing multiple weeks. And if those injuries were not bad enough, right before he was set to come off of the injured list, Lloyd needed to have his appendix removed, ending his season. Green Bay Packers Running Back Marshawn Lloyd Got Injured Again on Saturday The only game in which Lloyd appeared last season, the one in which he injured his ankle, was Green Bay’s Week Two contest with the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, he had six carries for 15 yards. On Saturday, in the Packers’ preseason game against the Colts, Lloyd once again had six carries for 15 yards, though he did have one reception for 33 yards as well. And it was after that long catch that he was pulled from the game with what the team said at the time was hamstring tightness. This was not great news for Green Bay or their fans, as Lloyd had already missed the Packers’ first preseason game with a groin injury. And it sounds like, once again, he will not be healthy to start the season. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Says Marshawn Lloyd Will Be Out for a While When Lloyd was pulled from the game, everyone hoped that it was as a precaution and that he would not miss any time. After all, when healthy, he has shown flashes of being the burst runner that the Packers knew they were getting when they made him a top-100 draft pick. But in his press conference today, head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that Lloyd is going to “miss some time,” which likely means he will not be ready for the season opener (again). This is, of course, not the news anyone wanted, and had many people saying that the second-year running back should see the same soft tissue specialist Christian Watson and Eric Stokes saw to solve their injury issues. But according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, he already did: “Lloyd visited the same facility in Madison, Wis., this offseason that helped wide receiver Christian Watson and former Packers cornerback Eric Stokes with their recurring soft-tissue injuries. Yet Lloyd missed this year’s preseason opener after suffering a groin injury in practice and dropped out of Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury.” What this means, of course, is that Lloyd is not doing anything wrong. He has gone, and is going, through a terrible stretch of bad luck when it comes to these injuries. It really is an unfortunate situation.
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