The rapper who got closer to joining the Raptors than Drake has
Percy 'Master P' Miller had tryout with team in October 1999
Twenty Octobers ago, a well-known rapper was hanging around with the Toronto Raptors.
It wasn't Drake; he was turning 13 that month.
It was Percy Miller, better known to his fans as Master P.
The New Orleans rapper had already seen a lot of success in the world of music — both as a solo performer and through the record label he founded, No Limit Records. He'd also been a very successful entrepreneur to that point.
But Miller told CBC News that he still hadn't accomplished everything he wanted to do in life.
And that was why he'd sought a spot on the Toronto team.
'Just chasing my dreams'
"My whole dream was to be a basketball player, be in the NBA — and this music thing blew up for me," said Miller.
"And now I'm just chasing my other dreams ... which is basketball."
At the time of his tryout with the Raptors, Miller was actually on the cover of Fortune magazine, as part of a story on the wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. The magazine estimated his net worth at $361 million at that point.
So things were going to be just fine for him whether or not he made the team.
'Long shot' bid for roster spot
The CBC's Paul Riley said it was "a long shot" for Miller to land a spot on the roster, but from what Raptors coach Butch Carter told the reporter, the team had enjoyed having Master P around.
"We've made investments in a lot of young players here, you know? And we've got to decide if we'll make an investment, which is a minimal investment, in someone like him," Carter told CBC News.
"He's been nothing but positive here."
Miller, who was 29, according to Forbes, had a positive outlook about his ongoing tryout when he spoke to CBC News.
"Like anything you do, if you work hard, you can get there — and that's what I'm doing," he said. "I mean, my whole life has been 'no limit,' and that's what it's about right now."
Miller would actually get to take to the basketball court with the Raptors in some exhibition action, but he did not end up being signed by the team for the regular season.