The rapper J. Cole will be playing professional basketball in Africa

J Cole.
(Image credit: Jeff Hahne/Getty Images)

The Grammy-winning rapper J. Cole is expected to play for the Rwanda Patriots BBC in the newly-formed Basketball Africa League, ESPN reports.

Cole, 36, starred for his high school team in North Carolina before walking on at St. John's University. He never appeared in a game, instead focusing his energy on a career in music. In 2019, he showcased his passing skills at the highest level — tossing a seated alley-oop to the New York Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr. during the All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest. Unfortunately, Cole followed that with his own less-than stellar dunk attempt.

Last year, Master P — another rapper who once harbored hopes of playing professional basketball — claimed that Cole was training to play in the NBA. "I said [to Cole] to get one of these NBA jerseys, it's not gonna be easy," he told TMZ. "So, you're gonna have to go somewhere where the team really believe[s] in you and the players believe in you." That place, apparently, is Africa. The BAL will feature 12 teams from across the continent, with the new season beginning on May 16 — two days after the release of Cole's latest album, The Off-Season.

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Jacob Lambert

Jacob Lambert is the art director of TheWeek.com. He was previously an editor at MAD magazine, and has written and illustrated for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, and The Millions.