Drake dropped his first full-length album since Scorpion in the early hours of Friday morning. Despite being in the works since 2019 and an original release date of January 2021 that had to get pushed back, Certified Lover Boy hit streaming services at 2 a.m., and in the hours after its release, NBA players made clear that they loves the latest project from the world’s most famous Toronto Raptors fan.
Some players were actually a bit annoyed about the timing of the release, with Donovan Mitchell and Mikal Bridges making clear they were expecting it to drop right at midnight.
Damn stayed up till midnight too 😂🤦🏾♂️
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1433643034353209344
While this was a pretty common sentiment among those who wanted to listen to the record right when the calendar turned to Sept. 3, there was plenty of excitement over Certified Lover Boy, and once people got to listen, NBA players were unified in thinking Drake released one of the albums of the year.
CLB hasn’t even dropped yet and I know drake has already broke the streaming record
— Jason Preston (@Treballjay11) September 3, 2021
“Everybody wants something, you know the price of everything but the value of nothing”🔥 #CLB #jayz
— IsaacOkoro (@isaacokoro303) September 3, 2021
🦉🦉
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) September 3, 2021
7am on Bridle Path…
— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) September 3, 2021
Anytime drake got a time of the day in the title of the song, He gon spazzzzzzz
— Mike James (@TheNatural_05) September 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/JordanClarksons/status/1433734925807722497
Way 2 sexy got me like pic.twitter.com/J6hg9wiVO3
— Terrence Ross (@TerrenceRoss) September 3, 2021
Hhhhh I hate to say it but he’s done it again. #CertifiedLoverBoy
— Oh Brother (@zaytodd) September 3, 2021
This one of those albums where even if it’s like 45 seconds left on the beat you just let it ride even though you’d normally go to the next song😭✌🏾 #CertifiedLoverBoy🤰🏼
— Aamir Simms (@EarlShmitty_) September 3, 2021
Jay Z street god
— Reggie Bullock (@ReggieBullock35) September 3, 2021
The Time and Place tracks always my faves. #instantclassics #oviwholeproject🔥
— Thon Maker ™ (@ThonMaker14) September 3, 2021
6 God went 🍌 🦉
— London Perrantes (@London_Tyus) September 3, 2021
THE BOY! 🦉
— Jus (@JusAnderson1) September 3, 2021
One player seemed to enjoy it so much that he stirred up a little controversy, as Trae Young antagonized the city of New York for the first time since the 2021 playoffs by asking the Twitterverse whether or not Drake has passed Jay-Z.
Yo when we gonna say Drake has passed Hov ?🥴
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) September 3, 2021
Young eventually made clear he was just asking as someone whose all-time favorite rapper is Hov.
Everybody, Hov #1 to me.😂💯
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) September 3, 2021