Canadian hip-hop icon Drake and former Sierra Canyon high school player Amari Bailey share a close and special friendship. More so, Drake had developed an interest in Amari’s mother, Johanna Leia, and even took her out on a date. The ‘Her Loss’ star had once booked the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to enjoy a private dinner with Leia in 2021. A Los Angeles reporter captured this moment through an aerial shot from a helicopter. Two years after this incident, Amari Bailey will debut in the NBA. He was drafted as the 41st overall pick for the Charlotte Hornets. Amari’s Sierra Canyon teammate Bronny James gave him a warm shoutout on Instagram following this incredible achievement.
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Given his interest in Amari’s mother, Drake often frequented Sierra Canyon’s high school games since 2021. Through his initial connection with Bailey, he first met Johanna Leia at one of Sierra Canyon’s games. And since then, he has had quite an on-and-off relationship with Leia. Here is a snap from Drake’s date with Leia in 2021, posted by Chris Cristi on Twitter.
Amari Bailey selected as the 41st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by Charlotte Hornets
Amari Bailey has been selected as the 41st overall pick for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft. Formerly, he was Bronny James’ teammate at Sierra Canyon’s high-school varsity team. He played alongside Bronny and averaged nine points, three rebounds, and four assists in a 76-52 win over Sheldon High School.
As a high school junior, Bailey averaged 29.2 points and 6.5 assists, making him a consensus five-star recruit in the 2022 class. Following high school, Amari joined UCLA and was named to the PAC-12 All-Freshman Team in 2023.
From their high school, Bronny and Bailey were two of the star prospects of the team. Amari Bailey graduated a year earlier than Bronny in 2022, committing to the UCLA basketball team. While playing alongside Bronny, he was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2022 and California Mr. Basketball in 2021.
Owing to all the memories the two had at Sierra Canyon, Bronny gave Amari a warm shoutout on his Instagram to his 7,400,000 followers. Perhaps, we might see Amari and Bronny either as teammates or competing against each other when Bronny enters the NBA in 2024.
Drake and Amari Bailey share a special relationship
Drake has a special connection with Amari Bailey, having often turned up for his high school games at Sierra Canyon. They have been noted to hang out together, with the Canadian rapper even gifting Bailey a custom ten chain with an OVO owl. However, Drake’s relationship with the young NBA star goes beyond watching his games from the courtside.
Drake had quite an interest in Amari’s mother, Johanna Leia, who helped navigate her son’s course in basketball. The two first met at one of Sierra Canyon’s games and were even spotted chatting during the regional semifinal matchup against Etiwanda in 2021. Although Sierra Canyon lost that game, Amari Bailey did impress Drake and all the onlookers with his 37 points play.
