Kings star DeMar DeRozan reacts after Kendrick Lamar takes Drake beef to Super Bowl stage
A worldwide audience watched Kendrick Lamar take his highly publicized rap battle with Drake to one of the grandest stages in all of sports.
Lamar’s performance at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show on record with 133.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen. One person who watched the show was Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan, who made cameo concert and video appearances with Lamar after being mentioned in the hit diss track “Not Like Us.”
DeRozan and Lamar are longtime friends and fellow Compton natives. DeRozan formed a friendship with Drake while spending the first nine years of his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors, but his relationship with Lamar goes deeper given their Southern California roots.
“He’s basically like family, so I’ve always got nothing but love and respect for him,” DeRozan said. “He’s always got the utmost support from me, so it’s kind of deeper than what you can put in words.”
DeRozan shared his thoughts on Lamar’s Super Bowl performance in an interview with The Sacramento Bee, saying he is always impressed with Lamar’s musical talents and abilities.
“It was amazing,” DeRozan said. “He never ceases to amaze me with his creativity, his artwork, his passion he has for music, for painting a picture bigger than just words. For me, it’s always an honor to be able to see someone I’m close to from the same city still inspiring so many people, so I thought it was amazing seeing him out there on the biggest stage.”
Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams made special appearances in a show that was full of symbolism and Drake disses.
When asked what he enjoyed most, DeRozan said. “Just everything — the easter eggs he always puts into his show, his creativity, bringing out Samuel L. Jackson and being Uncle Sam. The bigger meaning behind it is always something that’s big for me to provoke thought and the messages he always puts in his creativity. I thought Samuel L. playing Uncle Sam was genius. To have a storyline in between every song, Samuel L. narrating it, I thought that was amazing.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
