The Justin Bieber Sports Curse Is Definitely Real, and It Just Claimed Its Latest Victim

Everybody knows Drake as the front-running fan we all love to hate. Whether he’s draped in Kentucky blue, disappearing from his seat at Raptors games, or rocking gear for three different English Premier League powerhouses, the Toronto native makes it hard to take his rooting interests seriously when it comes to sports.

But what if we told you another Canadian Justin Bieber is actually worse than Drake and could be linked to a curse responsible for taking down several successful sports teams? 

Biebs has been spotted out and about at Toronto Maple Leafs games recently, and his presence has not necessarily been appreciated by local fans and media. When he appeared on the Jumbotron during the team’s Game 6 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday night—a loss that knocked the team out of the NHL Playoffs—a lot of people instinctively knew Toronto’s run was over:

It’s also fair to question the authenticity of Bieber’s fandom. In an Instagram post following the game, Bieber expressed happiness over the Leafs’ potential while taking a dig at another Canadian team:

There’s just one problem: the Canadiens (he didn’t even get the proper spelling right!) lost their first-round series to the New York Rangers in six games, just like Toronto did. Whoops! 

But this isn’t the first time Bieber has come out of a sporting event looking foolish, as a number of other sports teams have been taken down by the Bieber curse. Here are 6 teams who wish Bieber had never jumped on their bandwagon.

Spanish National Soccer Team

The Spanish national soccer team was the hottest thing in sports for about a five-year stretch. The core group of players won consecutive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, which book-ended their World Cup victory in 2010. A large percentage of the team also formed the spine of FC Barcelona, in the midst of a stretch where the Catalonian club won multiple Champions League titles and effectively created a style of soccer called tiki taka.

None of that could stop Bieber from ruining everything in 2014. Coming off the run of three consecutive triumphs in major competitions, Spain couldn’t even get out of the group stage at the 2014 World Cup. Spain surrendered five goals in their first group stage game after giving up just two goals in seven games at the 2010 tournament, and they never really had a chance after that.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Prior to a visit from the Biebs, the 2014 Steelers were red hot. They entered their November 9 game against the Jets on a three-game winning streak, with their high-octane offense averaging 41 points per game during the streak. New York was trending in the exact opposite direction. The Jets were losers of eight straight heading into the contest, and most players on the team were probably just hoping to reach their bye week in one piece.

Bieber’s presence was enough to shut down the Steelers. The Jets ripped off 17 first-quarter points and cruised to a 20-13 victory over the Steelers following the inexplicable offensive explosion.

New York Giants

Surely you’ve all heard about the Giants’ infamous boat party by now. Odell Beckham Jr. and some of his buddies on the Giants were spotted chilling on a yacht on an off day before their playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. A lot of casual observers and long-time reporters wanted to point to the unwinding time as a primary reason behind the L.

But as we told you at the time, the yacht fiasco was not the reason the Giants lost to Aaron Rodgers. The truth was in plain sight all along—once Bieber got too close to Beckham Jr., it was a wrap for the G-Men. Better luck next year, fellas.

Chicago Blackhawks

This one is a slow burn, as Bieber was able to celebrate the 2013 Stanley Cup victory alongside members of the Chicago Blackhawks. But the Canadian singer made a major party foul while snapping a picture of the most infamous trophy in sports, and Chicago ended up paying for it.

After beating the Los Angeles Kings in a quick five-game series in 2013, the Blackhawks came back in 2014 and fell to the Kings in the Western Conference Finals. Considering the defeat was the only time from 2013 through 2015 that Chicago didn’t make the Stanley Cup Final—and the first time in history the Blackhawks lost a playoff series to the Kings—we’re comfortable blaming this one on Bieber. 

New York Knicks

The Knicks of recent years haven’t exactly needed a whole lot of help to lose games. But the 2014-15 edition of the squad was coming off a middling season in which they went 37-45, and New York entered the season with new hope and a sense of optimism. The hiring of Derek Fisher as head coach was at the very least an injection of new blood into the team.

Bieber never even let the Knicks get off the ground. He showed up alongside Reverend Jesse Jackson at the home opener, and New York got whooped on by the Chicago Bulls 104-80.

The curse’s impact on this game may have even lingered for a few extra years. Two of the participants for Chicago, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, eventually ended up joining the Knicks for the 2016-17 season. Noah injured himself and then was suspended for violating the league’s drug policy, and Rose had the worst outside shooting season he’s had since he entered the league in 2008.

Philadelphia 76ers

Sixers center Joel Embiid has had plenty of medical issues of his own without Bieber’s involvement. The young center missed his first two seasons with foot issues, and his freshman season at Kansas was cut short by an ailment in his back.

But his bones held up fine during his rookie season. Perhaps the best explanation for the torn meniscus he suffered midway through the season was this offseason interaction with Bieber. If you want our advice, Embiid, try to keep your distance from Bieber while you’re going through this wave of rehab. 

The Counterevidence

Though things look bleak for young Bieber, there’s still hope for his second career as a serial bandwagon boarder. He was a prominent figure around the Cavaliers during their insane route to the 2016 NBA title, so not everything he touches is ruined.

But consider the circumstances here. The Cavs only won after making the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, led by the greatest player of his era and one of the best basketball players in the history of the sport. It took LeBron James nearly averaging a triple-double for the series—as well as a suspension to Draymond Green and an injury to Andrew Bogut—for Cleveland to break their title drought.

No, Bieber didn’t derail Cleveland’s title hopes. But if this is the sort of performance it takes to overcome the curse of Bieber’s “fandom,” fans around the world better hope he doesn’t start rooting for their teams.