“Mike’s like a mentor and a great friend to me.” When Drake said this, he probably didn’t imagine a moment where Michael Jordan would be caught grooving to the anthem of his biggest rival. But here we are. If you’ve been following the buzz in the entertainment world, you already know we’re diving straight into the heart of the Kendrick Lamar–Drake saga that lit up last year. Now you might be asking, how on earth does Michael Jordan end up in the middle of rap’s most heated feud?

The answer, surprisingly, lies in a casual night out. The basketball legend and his wife Yvette were recently seen enjoying themselves in a club, moving along to the beat of Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us. Yep, that song. And just like that, fans had a field day.

As clips of MJ and Yvette vibing hit Instagram, the reactions came rolling in. Some fans joked that Jordan had picked a side—Team Kendrick. Others gave him the benefit of the doubt, guessing he probably had no clue what track was playing.

“MJ X KENDRICK: Michael Jordan was turning up to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ in the club … MJ & his wife head bobbing! [laughing emoji],” read the caption to the IG post by courtsidebuzzig.

As mentioned earlier, the Lamar-Drake beef was easily one of 2024’s most talked-about storylines. What started with light jabs escalated into a full-on lyrical war. The feud saw both artists trading increasingly personal and pointed diss tracks, captivating the music world. Many fans and critics considered Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” with its hard-hitting accusations and infectious beat, to be a particularly impactful and culturally resonant response in the exchange. And while both rappers held their ground, a significant section of the fans agreed that Not Like Us delivered the final blow. The hit became the anthem of the summer and reportedly stung Drake enough for him to take legal action against Universal Music Group over its release.

So, one can only imagine Drake’s reaction when he saw the Chicago Bulls legend vibing to Lamar’s hit track. Especially when Drake had nothing but praise for His Airness, even about gambling, in his confession.

“I respect him deeply”: Drake’s confession on playing ping pong with Michael Jordan and gambling

Sitting down for the House Money series, the Toronto rapper opened up about his most unforgettable gambling experience and who he considers the gambling GOAT. “Controversial take, but probably Michael Jordan. He’ll gamble on anything,” Drake said. You could tell from the way he laughed—it was a story worth telling. He, however, didn’t stop there.

Drake went on to recall a ping-pong showdown with MJ during All-Star Weekend in Toronto. “I think I remember it was All-Star Weekend in Toronto and he had an event to be at. I beat him at ping-pong a couple times and he just wouldn’t leave the ping-pong table,” Drake said, clearly still amused. “Just kept betting because he just couldn’t stomach the loss… He’s definitely not a quitter. I respect him deeply for his gambling nature.”

Turns out, this isn’t the only time Drake’s had words of admiration for Jordan. Back in 2016, before coaching Team Canada in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, he got a pep talk from the legend himself.

“Michael Jordan talked to me earlier today,” he told The Canadian Press after leading his squad to a 74-64 win over Team USA at Ricoh Coliseum. “He told me to go out there, told me what plays to avoid running, told me: ‘If you want the champagne and cigars, you gotta win.” This history of direct encouragement and mentorship from Jordan to Drake makes his appearance enjoying a song by Drake’s fierce rival all the more surprising and a topic of much online amusement.

This makes it clear that Michael Jordan has always been team Drake. And as for his recent viral clip, vibing to Lamar’s Not Like Us, His Airness deserves the benefit of the doubt that he was clueless about what fans might make of this.