Jermaine Cole has played basketball in Rwanda. He has played in Toronto. Now he is heading to Nanjing.
The Grammy-winning rapper known as J. Cole has signed with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association, ESPN reported Wednesday. The move marks his third professional basketball stint and follows through on a commitment he made to the franchise last year.
A promise turned into a plane ticket
Cole, who stands 6’3″, first floated the possibility publicly while promoting his latest album, The Fall-Off, released in February. During an appearance on the Talk With Flee show hosted by Cam’ron, he confirmed that the Monkey Kings had been recruiting him since the previous year and that he intended to honor his word to them.
He framed the decision around time. At 41, he said he was watching the clock and recognized this might be his last real shot at professional play. His plan is to show up, compete in a few games, and enjoy the experience.
Footage of Cole attending a Monkey Kings game circulated on social media Thursday, and he announced his arrival in China through a post on Douyin, the Chinese video platform.
His road to the CBA
Cole’s basketball career began in earnest in 2021, when he played three games as a guard for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League, averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. The following year, he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, where he improved to 2.4 points per game with 0.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists. Before those stints, his last competitive experience on a court had been during his high school years in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He also participated in the NBA Celebrity Game in 2012.
His connection to professional basketball extends beyond playing. Cole is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a stake that has reportedly caught the attention of the Monkey Kings organization.
The team’s general manager, Zhen Wang, said in a clip posted to social media that Cole’s ownership position in Charlotte could open doors for Chinese players seeking training and playing opportunities in the United States. Wang added that Cole’s presence has the potential to raise the CBA’s profile internationally.
The Monkey Kings have previously featured NBA-experienced players including Willie Cauley-Stein, Antonio Blakeney, and Tacko Fall.
Two passions, one summer
Cole’s basketball commitment runs alongside a busy music calendar. The Fall-Off has been one of the more anticipated rap albums in recent memory, and a supporting tour is scheduled to begin in Charlotte, North Carolina, in July. The back half of his year will likely involve both a court and a stage.
His music resume is substantial. He won a Grammy in 2020 for Best Rap Song as a featured artist on ‘A Lot’ by 21 Savage and has taken home multiple BET Hip Hop Awards. He holds six Platinum albums and has produced tracks for artists including Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, and Young Thug.
Cole has said that basketball always felt like unfinished business, a passion he pursued without enough direction when he was younger. The Monkey Kings are giving him a chance to close that gap, a few games at a time.
