Yesteryear NBA All-Star defends timing of Drake's lawsuit against Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" citing $250M pop star's 'business loss'

Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas defended Drake's recent lawsuit against Universal Music and Spotify due to Kendrick Lamar's popular hit Not Like Us. Arenas said the Canadian rapper's recent songs not doing well or him potentially releasing an album and not making much sales will only strengthen the case for his lawsuit. He said it will prove he has actually suffered "business loss" due to his beef with Lamar.

On Tuesday's episode of the Gil's Arena podcast, the crew of Arenas, Nick Young, Rashad McCants, Lexie Brown and Josiah Johnson dabbled in the latest issue between Drake and Kendrick. Arenas understood where the pop star, worth $ 250 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, was coming from with his lawsuit.

"Everything is calculated," Arenas said. "What I'm saying is from a business standpoint, if you know you're going to sue, then you're going to let it play out. I need to show that I'm affected. I need to show that I lost (300 to) 400 million." [9:08 - 9:23]

According to BBC, Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music and Spotify for allegedly "boosting" Not Like Us. The lawsuit was filed through the Canadian rapper's Frozen Moments company, alleging that UMG and Spotify used illegal means to promote Kendrick Lamar's hit.

The filing came in a few days after Kendrick released his GNX album. Drake is also more popular on Spotify than his rival based on streams. However, Not Like Us was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year. The Compton native will also perform at the Super Bowl next year.

A representative from UMG denied the claims made by Drake in his lawsuit. Here's the statement they released to the public:

"The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."

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NBA player gets caught in the middle of Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud

DeMar DeRozan is a six-time NBA All-Star. (Photo: IMAGN)

Drake is a huge fan of the NBA and has attended countless games, especially in his hometown of Toronto. He's close with many players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. He was also tight with DeMar DeRozan during his tenure with the Raptors.

However, things took quite a turn after DeRozan danced on stage at Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out concert last June. "Deebo" was one of two NBA players who was bopping to Not Like Us during the viral performance. Him and Russell Westbrook are Los Angeles native, so it was not surprising to see them represent Lamar.

It created a rift with Drake, who dismissed DeRozan's possible jersey retirement in Toronto. The rapper claimed that he'd tear down the jersey if it happened, which prompted several reactions from several NBA personalities.

Even DeRozan, who was also in the Not Like Us music video, was caught off guard by it, but joked about Drake needing a ladder to fulfill his promise. "Deebo" is one of the greatest players in Raptors history, so his jersey will likely get retired there once the time is right.