J. Cole Makes His Professional Basketball Debut In Africa

J. Cole made his professional basketball debut just two days after dropping his highly anticipated album, “The Off-Season.”

Cole, whose real name is Jermaine Cole, appeared with the Patriots Basketball Club in Rwanda on Sunday. The team is a part of the Basketball Africa League, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 36-year-old, who has always been vocal about his hoop dreams, scored three points, three rebounds, and two assists. The “Power Trip” rapper landed his first points on a putback layup in the first quarter, followed by a technical free throw.

Cole was a standout player during his time at Sanford High School in North Carolina. He was a walk-on at St. John’s University before pursuing a rap career. However, the Grammy-award-winning artist never gave up on the game. Last year, news began to circulate that he was seriously planning a return to the court.

It has been reported that Cole will only appear in between three and six games.

Jermaine Cole in action for #Rwanda Patriots 🏀 pic.twitter.com/loJAJvmzDl

— Navjosh (@Navjosh) May 16, 2021