OVO meets NBA. Drake has announced that he is hosting the first-ever NBA Awards on TNT.
The show, which will be held at Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York City, will air on June 26 at 9 p.m. ET.
During an interview with “Cal Cast” earlier this year, the More Life rapper spoke about his goals hosting the NBA’s official annual award show, which will honor the league’s top performers.
“I’m actually producing and hosting the first annual NBA Awards this year,” he said. “I get to take the reins on it…I love hosting. I love being in a room full of iconic legendary people I look up to and having that pressure to make them laugh and enjoy their evening. Hopefully that will go well.”
Hosting first-ever NBA Awards on TNT, June 26th – tune in. pic.twitter.com/oGnXALihkq
— Drizzy (@Drake) April 25, 2017
This is an important stepping stone for Drake, who says he wants to eventually host a late night talk show. “My end goal, crazy enough, is I want to do like, another person I really look up to and a point in time that I miss is Johnny Carson and the appeal of that sexy late night TV that’s funny,” he said. “I just want to put on Tom Ford every night and sit with a glass of wine and laugh with people I’ve spent years with in the industry or friends of mine and give people something to watch every night that makes them feel good. Hopefully I’ll get there.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time Drake has hosted a sports-themed award show. In 2014, the 6 God also hosted the ESPYS on ESPN, where he dissed Macklemore, joked with Chris Brown, and kissed Skylar Diggins.
He has also hosted “SNL” twice, once in 2014 and again in May of last year.