Breadcrumb Trail LinksCelebrityMusicToronto Maple Leafs'I am a flawed sports better,' rapper says, pointing to Raptors' 2019 NBA Championship as proof that he's not a jinx Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Sign Up Published May 20, 2025 • Last updated 6 minutes ago • 5 minute readDrake attends the Maple Leafs-Bruins Game 4 at Scotiabank Arena on April 17, 2019. Photo by NHL /XArticle contentDespite losing $1 million after betting the Toronto Maple Leafs would beat the Florida Panthers, Drake insists the dreaded ‘Drake Curse’ doesn’t exist.Advertisement 2THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsArticle contentArticle contentArticle content“I feel like I don’t play sports, whether I picked the wrong team or not, if I could get out there and win for all your favourite teams, I would,” he said in a mock interview posted to Instagram in which he answered the question, “How Do You Feel About the Drake Curse?”The Toronto rapper plunked down the huge sum on the Leafs after asking his more than 142 million followers: “Do I dare bet on Game 7 … I will let the people decide.”Article contentThe majority of the musician’s admirers encouraged Drake to “Fire It Up” and make the wager, with just 25% cautioning the five-time Grammy winner he was going to curse the Buds. A small number of fans (14%) suggested Billboard’s Artist of the Decade Award winner should “Bet on Florida to Reverse the Curse” (an interesting tactic he used when the Toronto Raptors faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 NBA Playoffs).Advertisement 3Article contentBut Drake listened to his followers and made the decision to gamble that Toronto would beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, sharing a screengrab on his Instagram Story before puck drop along with the caption, “The people have spoken. LFG.”After the Panthers trampled the Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7, making their way to another Eastern Conference final, Drake returned to social media to jokingly blame fellow pop star Justin Bieber, who’s a lifelong Leafs fan and was at the game with his wife Hailey, for the team’s defeat.On social media, some fans blamed the “Drake Curse” for Toronto’s loss. For those unaware, the “Drake Curse” emerged after an unscientific study determined that the teams the One Dance hitmaker supports have a tendency to lose.Your Midday SunYour noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 4Article contentBut moments after the Leafs were routed, Drake tried to flip the script by posting a simple two-word message to his Instagram Story: “Bieber Curse.”Advertisement 5Article content“I guess Drake is going to be 1 million dollars poor(er), and his curse is real,” one person wrote on X, blaming the rapper. “Next time, don’t let him bet on the Leafs.”In 2019, Leafs fans blamed Bieber and Drake — who were spotted cheering on the team in person throughout the series — following the team’s Game 7 exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins, prompting then-Leafs coach Mike Babcock to weigh in on allegations of a curse.“I’ve heard lots of things since I’ve come here,” Babcock said at the time. “But that’s one of the craziest things. The game is played on the ice by us. There’s no curse whatsoever.”Following Sunday night’s trouncing, Toronto’s NHL Playoff appearances continue to be a case study in futility. The team hasn’t made a trip to the conference finals since 2002 or won a Stanley Cup since 1967.Advertisement 6Article contentBut the God’s Plan rapper insisted that his support wasn’t a jinx, pointing to his constant presence during the Toronto Raptors’ NBA Championship run back in 2019.“The ‘Drake Curse’ is funny to me,” he said. “First of all, the Toronto Raptors are NBA champions. If there was a ‘Drake Curse,’ Kawhi (Leonard) would’ve never hit that shot, we would’ve never beat the (Golden State) Warriors. There is no ‘Drake Curse,’ but it’s funny, though.”Advertisement 7Article contentInstead of adding more grist to the ‘Curse’ mill, Drake simply said he’s a “flawed sports bettor.”“I will not deny that. That’s not my gift. I’ll let everybody roll with it,” Drizzy admitted. “I’m sure if you’re a Drake curse believer, there will be plenty more content in the future for you to confirm your theories because my slips do not cash out. But one day I’m gonna have a parlay that’s insane and then everybody is going to be on quiet mode.”Talk of a “Curse” has been bubbling for years after the lyricist was blamed for Serena Williams’ loss to an unranked player at the 2015 U.S. Open, but it took a strong foothold in 2019 when Drake showed up during Game 4 of the NHL playoffs between Toronto and the Boston Bruins in Maple Leafs gear and guess what? The Leafs lost 6-4.Advertisement 8Article contentThat same year, after the rhymester took a photo with Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa, he was blamed for the soccer club’s 5-1 loss to Lille. As a result, Italy’s AS Roma banned its players from taking selfies with the Juno winner until after its season ended.During the 2022 World Cup, soccer fans blamed the “Curse” for Team Canada’s opening loss to Belgium.“We all know the reason,” one person wrote alongside a series of laughing-crying emojis and a pic of Drake posing alongside left-back Alphonso Davies.ESPN noted that Canada was the first World Cup team since 1978 to attempt at least 20 shots and a penalty kick and not score a goal.“Alphonso Davies didn’t listen to the Gods,” one fan tweeted after the match. “Drake’s curse is real.”Advertisement 9Article contentDuring that same tournament, he saw another million dollars disappear from his bank account after he fumbled his wager for the World Cup Final.There were more notable losses. Last July, he lost $300,000 when he bet the Canadian Men’s National Soccer Team would beat the Lionel Messi-led Argentina National Football Team in its Copa debut.The month before, the wordsmith bet $500,000 on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup. But Drake saw that money vanish when the Panthers won Game 7, 2-1.Drake also saw $500,000 flutter away when he laid odds on the Dallas Mavericks to beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.Meanwhile, even though Bieber was hoping his support would help power the Leafs to the Eastern Conference Final, he’s hopeful the Buds will figure out a way to move forward with offseason changes on the way.Advertisement 10Article content“I don’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t been obsessed with the leafsssss,” Bieber wrote following the Leafs’ loss on his Instagram. “This year we made it farther than we have in so long and I’m happy about that. I can be patient cuz I know this is the team to do it.”mdaniell@postmedia.comRead More Drake vs. DeMar DeRozan: How a longtime friendship ended with 'p****' taunt at a Raptors game Drake loses $1M bet, blames Bieber Curse for Maple Leafs' epic Game 7 loss Drake hit by 'Drake Curse' after losing $1 million on World Cup Article contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings