Some of his teammates don't like it, but Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander believes the greatest rapper ever is Drake.
He raved about Drake in a video for Spotify. SGA gets a lot of flak for his opinion, even if it isn't necessarily the hottest take imaginable. He loved Iceman, one of the rapper's three releases on the same day.
“Whenever I say Drake's the greatest rapper of all time, all the older guys go crazy, but that's about it,” he claimed. “I think Iceman is the best album of 2026. [For] one, I think it has no skips. And then, two, the whole storyline and the back and forth, and to produce [that] after what the narrative was and what it is now, it speaks for itself in greatness.”
SGA says Drake is the greatest rapper of all time 👀
(Via @Spotify ) pic.twitter.com/TOWgkR87H9
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 12, 2026
He then reacted to Drake name-dropping him on the album. SGA couldn't believe it at first and had to go back and re-listen to it to make sure he heard it right. He believes it was a “great” and “genius” line.
Article Continues BelowDrake is one of the most popular rappers in the world. He has had a big year, releasing three albums, Iceman, Maid of Honour, and Habibti, on the same day (May 15). These were his first albums since 2023's For All the Dogs. He will embark on the Fear of Missing Out Tour.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are a year removed from winning a championship in June 2025. SGA was named NBA Finals MVP for his efforts.
That was the best year of his career. He won his first of back-to-back NBA MVPs that season and capped it off with a championship. He has made four All-Star teams in a row from 2023 to 2026 and was named All-NBA First Team all of those years. SGA started his career with the Los Angeles Clippers before being traded to the Thunder in 2019.