'We barked a little bit': NBA star Green dismisses reports of 'scuffle' with Raptors superfan Drake

Toronto Raptors ambassador Drake, who has been warned by the NBA for his court-side conduct, had a confrontation with Golden State Warriors' power forward Draymond Green following game one of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

The Canadian musician was formally warned by NBA commissioner Adam Silver in advance of the finals clash between the Raptors and the Warriors after a series of incidents on the sideline involving the rapper drew headlines in recent weeks, and while Silver later reported that the two parties had an 'understanding' it seems that this was abandoned, temporarily at least, during a post-game run-in with the Warriors' Green.

Following Toronto's 118-109 victory in the first game of their series on Thursday, Green and Drake were observed engaging in a few heated words, though the player would later dismiss reports that the two had been involved in a 'scuffle'.

"It wasn't really a scuffle because I didn't hit him and he didn't hit me, or I didn't push him or he didn't push me," Green said of the incident. "We talked; we barked a little bit. But I wouldn't necessarily consider it a scuffle. [It wasn't] what I personally would consider a scuffle."

Drake had previously caused headlines when he grabbed Raptors coach Nick Nurse by the shoulders during game four of the Eastern Conference finals, while he did the same after targeting Mallory Edens, daughter of the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, with a social media blast during a prior playoff encounter. 

Despite wearing Dell Curry's old no. 30 Raptors jersey to the game in an obvious shot at his son and Warriors star Steph Curry, though both Drake and Curry appeared to have a brief, friendly chat during a break in play in the first quarter. 

"I think in the case of Drake, as I've said before, I mean, we certainly appreciate his superfan status, and I know he's beloved in the community of Toronto," Silver said.

"I think certainly we don't want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game. I think that even as Nick Nurse later said, I didn't even realize it was Drake or hardly was aware that I was being touched, and I think those can lead to dangerous situations. You're in the middle of coaching a game and you're completely focused - you obviously don't want somebody who is not on your team touching you."

It remains to be seen if Silver and the NBA will issue any further sanction against Drake for his latest court-side controversy.