Drake Maye delights hometown fans at Charlotte Hornets game

Did nobody tell Drake Maye it's the off-season?

If you happened to catch last night's game between the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets, you got a glimpse of Drake Maye enjoying some much needed down time.

Maye and his wife, Ann Michael, were courtside at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte about 15 miles away from his hometown of Huntersville, NC.

"Please welcome home to Buzz City, from Myers Park High School and the University of North Carolina, All-Pro quarterback...Drake Maye!" called out Hornets PA announcer Shawn Parker. Then Maye sprang into action.

Armed with a football and a big smile on his face, Maye began firing footballs into the crowd, getting some snap help from Ann Michael.

Drake Maye's significance to the region was appropriately summed up in just a few short seconds. The majority of Maye's personal and professional life were formed in North Carolina.

Maye was a stand out as a two-sport athlete at Myers Park High School. He set school passing and touchdown records on the football field and was an All-Conference and All-District player on the basketball court.

After initially committing to Alabama, Drake Maye would stick with his hometown UNC Tar Heels and was named ACC Player of the Year in 2022. One year later, he was named second team All-ACC and would go on to be selected third overall by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Drake Maye's busy offseason also includes launching his nonprofit MayeDay Family Foundation which will feature a celebrity softball game at Polar Park, the home of the Worcester Red Sox, at the end of May.

Whether he's throwing passes to Patriots receivers or Hornets fans in the nosebleed seats, Drake Maye's stardom and popularity continue to grow wherever he goes.