Rapper J. Cole signed a professional contract to play basketball in China.
The St. John’s alumni and multi-time Grammy award-winning artist will play basketball for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Nanjing Monkey Kings, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported late Wednesday night.
The “No Role Modelz” rapper appeared to have confirmed the news himself in an interview on “Talk with Flee” that was published on March 25.
Jermaine Cole(15) of the Patriots Basketball Club brings the ball up court against Marcus Christopher Crawford (2) of Union Sportive Monastirienne during the second half at Kigali Arena on May 22, 2021 Basketball Africa League via Get “The basketball s–t is like me just trying to scratch a last itch of, let me see if I can do this,” Cole said during the interview. “Could I train and be able to go play professional because these teams in these leagues are looking at it like, ‘He’s not ass. He can come be on the court and he can give our league some publicity.”
Cole said during the interview that the team had actually been offering him to play there last year.
“I’m looking at the clock like, boy, I’m getting older. This might be my last shot,” he continued. “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.”
Cole, 41, is no stranger to playing basketball, having spent time playing in the Basketball Africa League in 2021 and in 2022, Cole played in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
The Chinese Basketball Association is a step up from the other two leagues.
J. Cole performs onstage during the 2025 Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 6, 2025 in Raleigh, N.C. WireImage In 2021, he suited up in three games for the Rwanda Patriots of the Basketball Africa League in which he averaged 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game.
The 6-foot-3 Cole played five games in Canada for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in which he averaged 2.4 points and 0.6 rebounds per game.
The multi-Platinum artist, who released his latest album “The Fall-Off” in February, played basketball in high school in North Carolina, but became a superstar thanks to his music.
