Did Drake really win $82,500,000 betting on Tyrese Haliburton’s Pacers over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC Thunder? Viral claim debunked

Along with being one of the most popular rappers in the world, Drake is an avid NBA fan. The Canadian star is also known for making expensive bets on sports, even signing a deal with Stake to promote their service. However, his alleged bet on the Indiana Pacers to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals has fans wondering if he really bet tens of millions of dollars on the game.

Drake is no stranger to large bets. On Monday, the performer made a $750,000 bet on Royal Challengers Bangalore to defeat the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League.

When an X account called Daily Noud posted on Thursday afternoon that Drake bet $30 million on Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals, fans were surprised. However, the picture used by the account in their post suggested that Drake posted his bet on his Instagram again. However, his page does not include a post about the Finals or any bets he put on Game 1.

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Daily Noud is an account dedicated to parody news in the hip-hop world, making it more than likely that they fabricated the post in order to mislead fans.

With the rise of accounts like NBA Centel, there are multiple accounts across social media posting fake news, making fun of leagues or industries and their stars.

While Daily Noud fabricated Drake's bet, they actually called the game correctly. Haliburton made a jumper with 0.3 seconds left in the game to help the Pacers steal Game 1 on the road 111-110. If the rapper had actually made the bet, he would have won $82.5 million.

Drake supported Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when he was named Western Conference finals MVP

Along with sharing the same home country, Drake and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have bonded over their interest in fashion and sports over recent years. When the Oklahoma City Thunder guard won the Western Conference finals MVP award, Drake was one of many to congratulate the young guard on his success, both in the regular season and the playoffs.

"NO FLUKES," wrote the Canadian singer.

Gilgeous-Alexander had an excellent individual season, winning his first MVP award and leading the league in scoring. The Thunder rallied around him, winning 68 games in the regular season to secure the best record in the league.

Drake has backed the 26-year-old since his ascension to stardom, supporting his fellow Canadian every step of the way. He did not place a $30 million bet on the NBA Finals in Game 1, but if he were to put his money on one player, it would likely be Gilgeous-Alexander.

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About the author

Zachary Howell

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

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