J Cole was granted the opportunity to play professional basketball overseas after signing a deal with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA a little over a week ago. He made his debut on Saturday, April 11, and unfortunately, it was a game to forget.
Of course, it's been some time since he's played the sport at this level, so rust was inevitable. But still, the internet had a field day with pretty low-hanging fruit. J Cole came off the bench for eight minutes and shot 0-5 from the field.
All he could muster was a rebound, an assist, as well as a personal foul. DJ Akademiks has of course been his loudest critic in the days following his performance.
His reaction went viral yesterday as he ripped his "highlight reel" for eight minutes straight. Perhaps partially as a result of all of the jokes and criticisms, J Cole is talking about his experience.
As caught by our Twitter page, the North Carolina superstar took to his blog, "The Algorithm," which is on his Inevitable website, to do so.
Overall, he was incredibly grateful for the chance the Nanjing Monkey Kings gave him. He also appreciated all of the love from his fans, admitting that he didn't know he had such a huge following there.
Moreover, he praised the people of China, the country's cleanliness, and peacefulness as well.
J Cole's Nanjing Monkey Kings Game
But diving deeper into the game and the team, Cole reveals that he's already done playing. He explains why, writing, "Initially I was scheduled to play in at least 3 games for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA. The work visa process took way longer than expected, so I was only able to play in one before heading back."
Despite that being the case, he still cherishes the fact that he got to do this and in such a notable basketball league. "I got to play 8 minutes in one of the top leagues in the world, got a few good looks but wasn't able to hit one. A couple more games and maybe those shots would have started to fall! Either way I'm fulfilled and grateful! Sh*t, I feel like I dropped 20!!! [laughing emoji] And my knees felt like I played 40 minutes! [weary face emoji]."
Cole concludes by expressing interest in coming back with the Monkey Kings, cracking a joke in the process. "I told the team that if I could stay in shape I would be down to play for a longer amount of games next year after I'm done with tour. I'm wildin???? [laughing emojis] we'll see. DREAMER."
