Rapper J. Cole, whose real name is Jermaine Cole, plans to hit the hardwood by playing a season of pro basketball in Canada, according to ABC News.
NBA sports analyst Shams Charania confirmed the news that the Canadian Elite Basketball League will permit the rapper to suit up with the Scarborough Shooting Stars as a guard in the upcoming season.
The 37-year-old rapper, who played high school basketball in North Carolina, is not new to playing professional basketball. He suited up in 2021 with the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League.
He is not a big draw because of his skills on the court, but he is a big draw because of his status as a hip-hop legend. Because of that, prices have soured for fans to watch him on the court.
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Last year, BAL star Terrell Stoglin wasn’t really happy with Cole’s participation in last year’s tournament.
“I think there’s a negative and a positive [to J. Cole’s presence]. The negative part of it is: I think he took someone’s job that deserves it,” Stoglin told ESPN. “I live in a basketball world. I don’t live in a fan world. I know a lot of guys that had their careers stopped by COVID and they’re still home working out and training for an opportunity like this.”
“For a guy who has so much money and has another career to just come here and average, like, one point a game and still get glorified is very disrespectful to the game. It’s disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their whole lives for this,” he added. “The positive side of it is: it brings a lot of attention, and, I guess, money. I don’t really pay attention to that type of stuff. I’m more [concerned that] he took someone’s job that deserved it.”
In his last three games with the BAL, he scored five points, pulled three assists, and had five rebounds.
