J. Cole Ditches the Mic for a Jersey in Chinese Basketball League

Grammy Award-winning artist J. Cole is stepping off the stage and onto the court, this time in China.

At 41, the hip-hop icon has inked a professional contract with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association, marking his third foray into professional basketball. The announcement was confirmed by ESPN on April 1.

During a March 25 appearance on Revolt’s Talk With Flee with Cam’Ron, Cole shared his plans to play “a couple of games” with the team, revealing his motivation: “The basketball s— is like me just trying to scratch a last itch of, let me see if I can do this.”

He later touched on the subject again while guesting on the 7PM in Brooklyn Podcast with Carmelo Anthony.

On April 1, Cole took to Douyin, a Chinese social media platform, to announce his arrival. “China, what’s the world. This is J. Cole, Cole World. I’m excited to be in the vicinity,” he stated in a video.

Footage surfaced on X showing Cole suited up during the Monkey Kings’ game on April 2, although he did not participate in the match.

In another Douyin clip, Zhen Wang “Billy,” General Manager of the Nanjing Tongxi Basketball Club, greeted Cole at the airport, expressing optimism about his impact on the league.

“[J. Cole] coming to China can really raise the CBA’s profile on a global scale,” Wang remarked. “Since he’s the minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, we’re hoping that through his position, he can maybe help more of our domestic players get opportunities to train and play in the U.S.”

The team had initially extended an offer to Cole last year.

Cole admitted he isn’t in peak physical condition, having focused on his latest album in recent months. Yet, he approaches this opportunity with both urgency and enthusiasm. “I’m looking at the clock like, boy, I’m getting older. This might be my last shot,” he told Cam’Ron.

“I’m going to keep my word to them and show up and play a couple of games, although I know I’m not in the best of shape because of the album. I’m going to go out there and have fun with it,” he added.

The Nanjing program has previously featured NBA talents such as Willie Cauley-Stein, Tacko Fall, and Antonio Blakeney.

Basketball has been a consistent theme throughout Cole’s life and career. The 6-foot-3 guard played high school basketball in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and accepted an academic scholarship to St. John’s University, where he attempted to walk on to the Red Storm team in the early 2000s.

In 2012, he participated in the NBA Celebrity Game and graced the cover of SLAM magazine in May 2021.

Basketball references permeate his music, with Steph Curry’s career serving as a significant inspiration for him.

This stint in China marks his third experience playing in a professional sports league.

In 2021, he played three games with the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League, averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds, according to reports.

The following year, he played five games with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, averaging 2.4 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.

Born Jermaine Lemarr Cole, J. Cole is not only a Grammy-winning rapper but also a producer who won a Grammy in 2020 for Best Rap Song for “A Lot” by 21 Savage, featuring him.

He has released multiple platinum albums and produced tracks for artists like Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, and Young Thug.

Cole's latest album, The Fall-Off, debuted in February. He was promoting this album during a recent media tour when news of his basketball venture first emerged.

The Fall-Off tour is set to kick off on July 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina.