Lil Wayne sends John Calipari a personal gift

John Calipari has had a star-studded summer based on how many celebrities and well-known names that he has connected with over the offseason. Now, one of them has come back around with a gift for Kentucky’s head coach.

Earlier this summer, rapper Lil Wayne made a stop in Lexington on his tour and spent some time with Calipari in UK’s facilities. Calipari then posted a photo earlier today of a signed copy of Lil Wayne’s album ‘Funeral’ that was sent to him that included the photo from his office that they took together.

Have to find a spot in the office for this!! Appreciate you my friend, @LilTunechi!! pic.twitter.com/9LabsutBZQ

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) August 25, 2023

Again, this is just one of many connections that Calipari has had over this summer. He hosted Lil Wayne and ran into him more than once, met up with former president Bill Clinton for lunch, took his team to Drake’s mansion during their trip to Toronto to play in the GLOBL Jam, and teamed up with the family of the late Kobe Bryant to turn Kentucky into the first ‘Mamba Program.’

That’s not even mentioning Calipari’s run-ins with all of his former Wildcats who are now pros in the NBA or overseas.

It’s been a busy offseason for Calipari. With the school year getting started, though, it’s about time for him and his team to return to the court for an important season in the bluegrass.

Kentucky releases 2023-24 nonconference basketball schedule

Kentucky has finally posted its official nonconference schedule for the 2023-24 basketball season. The team’s Twitter accounte released the full and action-packed slate to the public, which notes dates and locations for each matchup.

Nov. 6: New Mexico State (home)
Nov. 10: Texas A&M Commerce (home) | Wildcat Challenge
Nov. 14: Kansas (Chicago, IL) | Champions Classic
Nov. 17: Stonehill (home) | Wildcat Challenge
Nov. 20: Saint Joseph’s (home) | Wildcat Challenge
Nov. 24: Marshall (home)
Nov. 28: Miami (FL) (home) | ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 2: UNC Wilmington (home)
Dec. 9: Penn (Philadelphia, PA)
Dec. 16: North Carolina (Atlanta) | CBS Sports Classic
Dec. 21: Louisville (away)
Dec. 29: Illinois State (home)
Feb. 10: Gonzaga (home)

After some complaints in recent years about an underwhelming out-of-conference schedule, especially at Rupp Arena, the Big Blue Nation has to be happy with this lineup. Excitement for the fanbase may mean added stress for John Calipari, who is looking at an absolute gauntlet of a schedule.