J. Cole Signs Pro Basketball Contract in China While on Media Tour for New Album
Most rappers talk about the game. J. Cole keeps showing up to play it.
The Grammy Award-winning rapper has signed a contract with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association, marking his third stint as a professional basketball player.
He confirmed he would play “a couple of games” during an appearance on Revolt’s Talk with Flee with Cam’Ron on March 25. ESPN later confirmed the report on April 1.
Cole, born Jermaine Lemarr Cole and currently 41 years old, was characteristically candid about 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 said on the podcast.
J. Cole Says He’s ‘Getting Older’
The conversation with Cam’Ron gave fans one of the most revealing windows into where Cole’s head is at. He didn’t sugarcoat anything — he knows he’s not in his physical prime, and he knows time is running out.
But that’s exactly what makes it matter to him.
“I’m looking at the clock like, boy, I’m getting older. This might be my last shot,” he said. “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. I’m going to go out there and have fun with it.”
That album is The Fall-Off, released in February. Cole was in the middle of a media tour promoting it when the basketball news surfaced.
He also briefly mentioned the China deal on the 7PM in Brooklyn Podcast with Carmelo Anthony.
The fact that he dropped this alongside album conversations tells you everything about how intertwined basketball and music have always been in Cole’s world.
The Fall-Off tour kicks off July 11 in Charlotte, N.C. — and he’s got a pro basketball contract running at the same time. The man is doing anything but falling off.
J. Cole Already Touched Down In China
On April 1, Cole posted a video on Chinese social media platform Douyin confirming his arrival. “China, what’s the world. This is J. Cole, Cole World. I’m excited to be in the vicinity,” he said in the video.
Other videos surfaced on X showing him suited up — but not yet playing — during the Monkey Kings’ April 2 game.
In another Douyin clip, Zhen Wang “Billy,” general manager of the Nanjing Tongxi Basketball Club, welcomed Cole at the airport.
Wang made clear the signing carries significance beyond the court.
“[J. Cole] coming to China can really raise the CBA’s profile on a global scale,” Wang said. “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 originally made Cole an offer last year. The Nanjing program has previously included NBA players Willie Cauley-Stein, Tacko Fall and Antonio Blakeney.
J. Cole Adding to His Professional Basketball Resume
Cole’s basketball history stretches back well before the fame.
The 6-foot-3 guard played high school basketball in Fayetteville, N.C., accepted an academic scholarship to St. John’s University and tried out for the Red Storm as a walk-on in the early 2000s.
His professional run started in 2021 with 3 games for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League, where he averaged 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds, per the New York Times.
In 2022, he suited up for 5 games with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, averaging 2.4 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists.
He played in the NBA Celebrity Game in 2012, appeared on the cover of basketball magazine SLAM in May 2021 and has cited Steph Curry’s career as a personal inspiration.
J. Cole’s Music Career Speaks for Itself
Cole is a Grammy winner — he took home Best Rap Song in 2020 for “A Lot” by 21 Savage, on which he was featured.
He has earned multiple platinum albums and produced songs for Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson and Young Thug. He doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
And yet here he is, admitting he’s not in peak shape, acknowledging his age and still lacing up.
Basketball references have been a large part of his music throughout his career — and this latest chapter proves Cole’s love for the game has never just been a metaphor.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
