Rapper Drake joined the throngs of celebratory NBA Finals bettors after the Denver Nuggets clinched their first championship title in Game 5 at home Monday night. However, Drake’s payout likely dwarfed most others.
Prior to the game, Drake revealed on his Instagram story a substantial Bitcoin wager – $242,584 – riding on a Nuggets victory. With the Nuggets' triumph over the Miami Heat, the rapper reportedly raked in a staggering $824,785. While Drake’s net worth is already in the millions, a win of this magnitude undoubtedly called for a major celebration.
Referencing Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic as "The Joker," Drake's pre-game Instagram story expressed his anticipation: "Cash me out. Gotta see this one hit right here. It’s a must." Following the win, Drake, known as "Champagne Papi" on Instagram, shared his elation with two additional stories. One featured a Polaroid of Jokic and teammate Jamal Murray with the caption, "Me and Eddie after Nuggets finally get me a sports win @stake." The other highlighted Murray, also Canadian-born, with an image of the guard overlaid with the Canadian flag and the phrase "CASH ME."
While Murray’s 14 points in Game 5 were below his postseason average, he contributed eight rebounds and eight assists over 41 minutes. Jokic led the Nuggets with 28 points and 16 rebounds, earning him the Finals MVP title.
