J. Cole signs deal to play in Basketball Africa League: report
J. Cole has been open about his love for basketball since he hit the scene
It looks like rapper J. Cole is ready to play ball.
It is being reported that the 36-year-old rapper has signed to Basketball Africa League’s Rwanda’s Patriots B.B.C., per NBA insider Shams Charania.
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The rapper is expected to play three-to-six games. The first game will air on Sunday at 7 a.m. EST on ESPNews. He will play against Nigeria.
“Sources: American rap star J. Cole is signing a deal in the Basketball Africa League with Rwanda’s Patriots B.B.C. J. Cole will play 3-to-6 games, the first of which on Sunday vs. Nigeria,” wrote Charania to Twitter on Monday.
J. Cole has been open about his love for basketball since he hit the scene. He was a walk-on player when he attended his Alma mater, St. Johns University, per Complex. Also one of his first videos for his hit “Work Out” was on a basketball court. There were also rumors swirling that he aspired to ball for the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons even offered the rapper a chance to try out for the team.
“.@JColeNC we see you out here. You said they only got 12 slots on the Pistons. Hit us up for that tryout. This is for all the dreamers @bleacherreport #Dreamville,” the team tweeted last August.
Last July, Cole wrote about his baller aspirations for The Players’ Tribune.
“I was a late bloomer, though. I played in high school, but had only started to find real confidence after my senior year was over,” wrote Cole. “I was 6’3″, athletic with a high motor, and highly competitive. What I lacked in fundamentals (which was a lot), I made up for in creativity, finesse, and will power. If there was one word to describe my game at the age of 19 it was, potential.”
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He added: “That potential was on display on the first day of tryouts, with me and about 50 other kids essentially battling for a chance to permanently ride the bench of a major Big East program. On the court that day, to put it simply, I was on my sh*t. As we played game after game and ran through drill after drill, the initial nerves I felt at the start of the day were replaced by a confident realization that I might have been the best player on the floor. “Oh sh*t. You about to f*ck around and make this team,” I thought. When my name was called as a part of the 10 players invited back the next day, things got real for me.”
The rapper goes on to say how excited he was to be apart of a team.
“Without a doubt, I felt a child-like joy at the possibility of walking onto the team. Throughout the day, I imagined throwing on that red jersey and playing in Madison Square Garden (and by playing, I mean participating in the layup line and clapping real loud at the end of the bench). Also there was something very special to me about being a part of a team again,” wrote Cole.
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