Los Angeles, CA – Six-time NBA All-Star Paul George recently sat down with ESPN to talk about his move from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Los Angeles Clippers. In the interview, which was published on Wednesday (January 15), George revealed he and his longtime friend Kawhi Leonard had an unlikely ally in their fight to join forces in L.A. — music superstar Drake. 

Drizzy has deep ties to pressional basketball. The Canadian rapper is known for his courtside presence at high-prile games and has an ongoing partnership with the Toronto Raptors. After the team won the 2019 NBA finals, Drake released a two-song EP called Best In The World Pack.

After the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals, Leonard opted not to renew his contract. Instead, he flew to California for free-agent meetings where he stayed at Drake’s Hidden Hills home. By July, Leonard decided to sign with the Clippers and encouraged the team to allow George to join him.

George and Leonard, who have been friends since high school, worked together to get George on the Clippers’ roster. According to ESPN’s sources, the pair met at the 6 God’s Los Angeles mansion as least three times during contract negotiations.

George’s trade was reportedly made ficial on December 6, 2019. George, who is a native Palmdale, California, told ESPN coming home was important to him for reasons outside the court.

“Growing up in Palmdale, I knew I loved the game,” he said. “I didn’t know how far it was going to take me. What I wanted to get to in my career is being back home. Being close to my people.”