In the middle of his European tour and ongoing defamation case against UMG, Drake has also been promoting his latest album, ICEMAN. The project will be his ninth LP and 16th (non-compilation/EP) release overall.
Recently, the Toronto rapper received a signed jersey from Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin, whose nickname is the Iceman. In a post to his Instagram page, he documented the meeting, including a photo of the jersey and another of Gervin actually signing it. "To Iceman, from Iceman," wrote Gervin.
Gervin, now 73, enjoyed an 18-year playing career, 14 of which came in the ABA and NBA. He is most known for his 12 years with the San Antonio Spurs, where he emerged as one of the most dominant scorers of his era, leading the league in points per game on four occasions. In two of those seasons, he averaged over 30 PPG, and in a third, he averaged 29.6.
After his time in San Antonio came to an end, he played a season with the Chicago Bulls, though he did not get to play with Michael Jordan for long, as Jordan broke his foot just three games into his sophomore season. That season with the Bulls proved to be his last in the NBA, and he retired with career averages of 25 points per game and five rebounds per game.
In the years since, he has been ranked favorably among the greatest shooting guards in league history. "The Iceman," a name bestowed upon him during his playing days for his "cool" composure in high-stakes situations, remains one of basketball's greatest nicknames.
Drake ICEMAN Release Date
As Drake's newest album shares a name with George Gervin's famed nickname, it makes sense that he would seek out the approval of the originator himself. And it clearly worked out, as he can now say that he's the owner of a signed jersey from one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Drake recently turned heads with a massive legal filing on August 12, in which his team issued discovery requests for documents they believe will help their defamation case, from information on UMG CEO Lucian Grainge's communications surrounding the release of "Not Like Us" to clarification on Dave Free's relationship to Kendrick Lamar's children.
ICEMAN still does not have a release date, but it feels safe to assume that the rollout will really kick into high gear when he and PARTYNEXTDOOR come off the road at the conclusion of their $$$4U Tour on September 23.
