J. Cole Pursues Basketball Dream in China

Grammy award-winning rapper J. Cole will be taking his talents to the basketball court, signing with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The artist, whose real name is Jermaine Cole, expressed a desire to “scratch a last itch” and test his abilities at the professional level.

“A Last Shot” for the Multi-Talented Artist

Cole, 41, explained his motivation in a recent interview. “The basketball s–t is like me just trying to scratch a last itch of, let me see if I can do this,” he said. He acknowledged his age and stated, “I’m looking at the clock like, boy, I’m getting older. This might be my last shot.”

Previous Basketball Experience

This isn’t Cole’s first foray into professional basketball. In 2021, he played three games for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League, averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game.

Basketball Africa League & CEBL

He continued to pursue basketball in 2022, appearing in five games for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). During his time in Canada, he averaged 2.4 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. Cole played high school basketball in North Carolina before focusing on his music career.

Balancing Music and Basketball

Despite recently releasing his album “The Fall-Off” in February, Cole intends to honor his commitment to the Nanjing Monkey Kings. “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 the album,” he stated. He plans to enjoy the experience and give the league some publicity.