Back in 2021, J. Cole signed a deal with the Basketball Africa League to play for the Patriots. After playing just a couple of games and averaging one point per game, he moved on to the Canadian Elite Basketball League. It was here that he got to play for the Scarborough Shooting Stars. While his stint only lasted five games, he certainly left an impression.
Last night, Cole revealed that at 41 years old, his hoop dreams would continue. This time around, he would be signing in the Chinese Basketball Association, which is thought of as the second largest professional basketball league in the world.
Now, the rap legend is going to get to play for the Nanjing Monkey Kings, a team that is currently ranked 17th in the standings. Through 32 games, Nanjing is currently 11-21, which isn't exactly a spectacular record.
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J. Cole Goes To The Nanjing Monkey Kings
Given the minutes Cole played in the CEBL and the BAL, it stands to reason that he won't be playing very much in the CBA. In fact, it is unclear what his commitment will be to the league. Whether or not he will live in China and play every game is something that still has yet to be announced.
Either way, this is an announcement that rocked the hip-hop and basketball worlds last night, and for very good reason. After all, it is not every day that a rap legend like Cole gets a professional opportunity. While it had happened two times before, most thought that the ship had sailed.
Fans React
With that being said, it should come as no surprise that fans on social media thought that this was some kind of grand April Fool's joke. Below, you can see what fans had to say on Twitter. There was mostly a mixture of China jokes, as well as quips about how Shams Charania's report came near the end of what had been a mostly uneventful April Fools' Day.
In the coming days and weeks, we will surely get to see some footage of Cole playing basketball. This will be huge for the fans in China, who now get to see a real-life celebrity on their court.
While Cole may not put up huge numbers, you can't help but feel as though he is winning at life right now.
