J. Cole surprised his fans a couple of weeks ago when he revealed that he would be going to China to play professional basketball. It was announced that he would play for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Overall, there was quite a bit of hype surrounding this. Following brief stings in the BAL and the CEBL, fans were hopeful that Cole could have himself a good time. Over the weekend, he made his debut, registering eight minutes of playing time. While he failed to score a point, he was given an ovation by the crowd, which must have felt really good.
Unfortunately, on Monday, Cole announced that his stint in China was officially over. It was a surprising announcement given the fact that Cole's stint in China had just started. Some assumed it was due to his performance. However, it turns out it was a VISA issue.
J. Cole Speaks Out On His CBA Experience
"Initially I was scheduled to play in at least 3 games for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA," Cole explained. "The work visa process took way longer than expected, so I was only able to play in one before heading back.:
Regardless, Cole seems to be very thankful for the experiene. In his blog post, he noted that he had himself a good time, and that the franchise was very welcoming to him.
"I want to say thank you to the Nanjing club and to the CBA for allowing me to have that incredible experience," Cole wrote. "Also to my teammates who were mad cool, and who really wanted me to get a bucket! 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! Shit, I feel like I dropped 20 !!!"
While things didn't end the way Cole hoped, he still got the experience of a lifetime. The CBA is easily the best league he has played in so far, and it seems like he cherished the opportunity. Realistically, that is all that matters.
