Two years ago, LeBron James appeared at Kendrick Lamar’s Pop Out event in Inglewood. He was dancing and grooving to “They Not Like Us”, a track specifically targeting Drake. That moment is seen as the time the Akron Hammer chose sides. The God’s Plan singer severed his ties with James, including a slight diss in his 2024 track, “Fighting Irish”. But this rift isn’t done.

Drake wants to keep the heat on LeBron James. He’s been teasing his latest ‘ICEMAN’ album, even having a 25-foot ice block for fans to discover the release date. Now, he’s giving a few sneak peeks for his first solo album since 2023. And one track, ‘I AM In Albany’ features loaded lines against his former close associate.

According to Full Court Pass, it goes like, “I shouldn’t even be shocked to see you in that arena, because you always made your career off of switching teams up… Please stop asking what’s going on with 23 & me, I’m a real n—- and he’s not, it’s in my DNA”.

The insult interlinks the 22-time All-Star’s four-team journey across the NBA with him crossing Drake for Kendrick Lamar. This comes after Drake also reportedly covered up his LeBron James tattoo, replacing it with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Clearly, OVO doesn’t feel their rift is settled yet.

He has plenty of receipts. If need be, Drake can also look back at the times when LeBron James dominated his favorite team, the Raptors, for numerous seasons in the playoffs. But it’s going to be a one-sided battle from the looks of it. James has never publicly spoken ill of his former friend. And even when asked about it recently, he wishes Champagne Papi the best.

“Always wish him the best. Obviously, [we’re in] different places right now, currently. He’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine, but it’s always love for sure,” he said in an interview with Speedy Mormon in September 2025.

We’ll be waiting to see if Drake’s ‘ICEMAN’ features any other jabs at the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. But for now, the leaked diss might still be relevant.

LeBron James and the Lakers’ complicated relationship

Retirement? One last ride? Everything is up in the air with respect to LeBron James future. Having spent eight years with the Lakers now, the team remains an option if the Akron Hammer continues to play. But internally, things don’t seem as sorted.

This comes from a range of contradictory reports. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James feels the Lakers have ‘taken him for granted’ and even tried to push him out once they landed Luka Doncic. After all the sacrifices he made and then being arguably the best player during the playoffs, some of the happenings during the season didn’t sit right with James.

At the same time, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported the two sides are still keen on continuing their partnership. Of course, Bronny James is still a Laker, which naturally draws the Akron Hammer to the Purple and Gold. Furthermore, Rob Pelinka could plan out a productive summer to maximise the talent of the Lakers’ Big 3. Whether they fit together or not is another question the organization needs to address before making any decisions.

But as far as commitment, LeBron James seemed all in, even with taking a less inclusive role. The contract value could be the key to deciding James’ future in LA. Do you think he will choose to stay or explore another franchise as retirement closes in? Let us know your views in the comments below.