Knicks news: New York's new branding 'guru' compares himself to Drake

The New York Knicks recently hired Steve Stoute to help with branding, and he just compared himself to Drake and how he helped the Toronto Raptors.

Steve Stoute, the music and marketing executive recently brought in to oversee a global rebrand of the New York Knicks, stopped by ESPN's “First Take” Tuesday morning to trade barbs and discuss his new role with the struggling organization.

During the conversation with Knicks fan Ros Gold-Onwude, Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith, and former Knicks fan Max Kellerman, longtime Knicks fan Stoute described some of his goals with the franchise and repeatedly cited his undeniable success in multiple fields:

Stoute even compared his new role to that of Drake's in Toronto. The Raptors donned Drake with the label of “Global Brand Ambassador” in 2013, and his role with the franchise continues to grow:

"Toronto Raptors, they brought in Drake, right? They brought in Drake to bring that thing," Steve Stoute told @FirstTake. "The New York Knicks brought in me."

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 11, 2020

Stoute also acknowledged that his role with the organization may expand beyond branding, claiming he'll have a “loud voice” in the room as the Knicks navigate yet another overhaul:

Stoute acknowledged he will have "a loud voice" with the Knicks going forward. Longtime player agent Leon Rose arrives soon as team president. A largely new brain trust … but can it actually get better results? Skepticism will prevail given the lack of team-building experience

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 11, 2020

Stoute spent time as an executive at Sony and Interscope before launching UnitedMasters, a music distribution company. He's the CEO of Translation, a marketing firm that oversaw the rebrand of the Nets after their move to Brooklyn. James Dolan and the Knicks are certainly hoping Stoute will help the iconic franchise reemerge as an appealing destination for star players, as Brooklyn has clearly proven itself to be in recent years.

He might be giving Drake just a little too much credit for the Raptors' 2019 title, but Knicks fans will happily give him all the credit in the world if he's present for a successful turnaround — on and off the court.