What was once one of the NBA’s most iconic celebrity friendships has officially gone up in ink and smoke. In a move that sent shockwaves across both hip-hop and basketball circles, rapper Drake has covered up his infamous LeBron James tattoo, once a public display of admiration, with a new tribute to Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The message was loud, visible, and undeniable: Drake and LeBron are no longer cool.
Drake covered up his LeBron tattoo for an SGA tattoo pic.twitter.com/bK7KBISd0s
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 12, 2025
The drama unfolded when fans noticed during Drake’s Wireless Festival performance that the tattoo of LeBron’s St. Vincent–St. Mary high school jersey, once proudly inked on his left arm, had been replaced by a fresh “Shai 2” tattoo.
While some saw it as a shoutout to Canadian pride (SGA and Drake both hail from the North), the broader narrative screamed betrayal.
Social media did not hold back. “Drake is a whole groupie,” one fan commented. “Replacing one random man with another random man,” added another.
Others mocked the rapper’s obsession with tattooing NBA players, calling the move corny, childish, and thirsty. But beneath the laughs and memes, there was serious tension—because this wasn’t just a tattoo swap. It was a public severing of one of the most famous cross-industry bromances of the last 15 years.
Drake and LeBron’s friendship was once built on admiration and trust. Drake shouted him out in songs, showed up to his games, and even made the anthem “Forever” for LeBron’s 2008 documentary.
They were seen courtside together, at high school games, and shared stories of brotherhood. Drake once said LeBron was like a big brother to him.
But then came 2024. In one of the most bitter rap beefs in music history, Drake went toe-to-toe with Kendrick Lamar and expected LeBron to be in his corner. After all, they’d been tight for more than a decade. But LeBron chose neutrality.
In a tweet following early diss tracks, LeBron praised both rappers and wrote: “Nothing like 2 heavyweights doing What They Do Best! For the love of the sport.”
That neutral stance became damning silence as Kendrick dropped haymaker after haymaker, and LeBron showed up at Kendrick’s Pop Out concert on Juneteenth.
Drake took it personally. And soon, subliminal disses started trickling into his music. On the leaked Fighting Irish Freestyle, he rapped: “Talkin’ ’bout we family, well, I’m not the cousin to visit.” On What Did I Miss?, he added, “I saw bro went to Pop Out with them / but been dck riding gang since ‘Headlines’.”
Now, with the tattoo swap, the passive shots have turned into a permanent statement. Covering LeBron’s name with SGA’s jersey number wasn’t just a flex; it was a funeral. A burial of their friendship. A declaration that the crown has passed to a new NBA muse.
For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this might be the ultimate sign that he’s made it: MVP trophies, Finals MVP, and now, tattoo status. As for LeBron, he’s kept silent, no statements, no reactions, just business as usual. Maybe that’s the most LeBron thing ever.
But in a culture where tattoos tell stories, Drake just inked a new chapter. And this one? It ends with LeBron erased.
