Friday night was all about the 2017 NBA Finals Game 1. While Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were the stars on the hardcourt, another star was shining brightly on the sidelines -- Rihanna. Bad girl RiRi was present court-side at the Oracle Arena to pay her respects to King James, who she is a big fan of. However, while the "Work" singer was supporting LeBron, she was also allegedly seen by fans talking trash to KD. At one time, even shouting "brick" at one of his free throws. But did Rihanna really call Durant out?
Rihanna yells "brick!" at Kevin Durant
The Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers were nothing short of spectacular at Friday's match. GSW went on to dismantle the reigning champions in a 113-91 outing, taking the lead in the championship series while being led by Kevin Durant. KD scored 38 points along with 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and zero turnovers. While the forward put on a show for the home crowd, one person in the audience didn't seem to enjoy KD's brilliance. Rihanna was reported to be heckling him during the game.
Fans on social media were quick to point out that the "Love On the Brain" artist was active on the sidelines, having caught the attention of everyone as she entered the arena.
Even commentator Jeff Van Gundy was awed as she passed him. Later, the singer was seen bowing to LeBron James before doing a dab and taking her seat.
Rihanna had a few moments during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. 1st she had Jeff Van Gundy in awe as she walked past him during a LeBron dunk pic.twitter.com/XRZDIFX25r
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) June 2, 2017
Then it was the Rihanna, Kevin Durant fiasco as social media went abuzz when fans pointed out that RiRi yelled "brick" at the Warriors star as he took a free throw.
In another instance, Durant can be seen staring at Rihanna's direction after sinking a three-pointer -- his reaction to the smack he's hearing from her side.
#Warriors ran away with game 1 of the #NBAFinals but Kevin Durant and Rihanna had an interesting second half 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/RnAO3t7Jo6
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) June 2, 2017
While this has sparked talks of friction between Rihanna and Durant, a new video angle confirms that it was not the LeBron-supporting artist that cursed KD's shot but the woman beside her.
While the woman sitting beside RiRi is part of her crew, this clears her name from the unnecessary heckling thrown at the star of the GSW roster. True enough, during the post-game press conference, when asked about the stare down with Rihanna, KD said he doesn't remember it. He added that people on social media can "have fun with that" because there's nothing more to it.
Media making calls without actually witnessing proof just like NBA refs? https://t.co/o98CFN49XB
— Bobby G (@bobbyg27) June 2, 2017
GSW vs Cavs - NBA Finals game 2
As the Warriors cruised past the Cavs in game 1, expect the NBA Finals game 2 to be even more intense. Cavaliers' LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin Love are expected to step up their game and come prepared to defend their ring.
LeBron, who finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists, will also have to handle the ball better with a lousy 7 turnovers in their first outing. Love, who only shot 30.8% from the field, can hopefully find his groove in the perimeter to help with his outstanding rebounding. Irving is expected to make more plays for his teammates after just posting 2 assists.
As for the Warriors, expect them to amp up the intensity as they aim to make a sweep of the Finals and keep their post-season slate faultless. Now at 13-0, Klay Thompson is expected to make adjustments on the offensive end after shooting a dismal 3 of 16. Warriors vs Cavs Game 2 venue and time is on Sunday, 8:00 pm ET at the Oracle Arena.