Just six days after signing a three-to-six game contract with the Basketball Africa League’s Rwanda’s Patriots B.B.C., J. Cole officially made his professional basketball debut on Sunday against Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers.
It didn’t take long for the 36-year-old rapper to score his first career points. A few minutes after checking into the game, Cole got his first bucket as a professional basketball player off a put-back layup in transition.
This isn’t Cole’s first foray into hoops. He was a standout basketball player in high school and played briefly for St. John’s as a walk-on. The game was the first game in the BAL, which is a joint effort between the NBA and FIBA.
It’s been a big week for Cole. He released his album “The Off-Season” — the cover art of which shows Cole standing in front of a basketball goal on fire.