American rapper J Cole is set to play professional basketball for Rwandan basketball team, Patriots BBC.
The team will play Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers on Sunday, opening the first-ever Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Rumors of the signing began when the musician, was seen;in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, over the weekend. However, the team’s coach, Alan Major, confirmed;the news to the state broadcast television station in Rwanda.
According to some reports, J Cole arrived in Kigali on Saturday;and is currently in quarantine ahead of Sunday’s game.
Rwandan paper, The New Times also tweeted a video of Cole wearing a Patriots; jersey, adding that he “could feature” in the NBA-backed league. The 36-year-old Grammy Award winner is;expected to play three to six games this season.
J Cole is known to be a huge basketball fan and has referenced Lebron;James and Michael Jordan in his music, but he has no professional basketball experience.
It can be recalled that in 2012, he appeared in the NBA’s ‘Celebrity All-Star game’;which is held during the league’s annual ‘All-Star Weekend’. At the 2019 All-Stars game, he performed during the half-time show.
Master P believes in J Cole
Cole has previously expressed interest in professional basketball, according to some reports. Fellow rapper and basketball player Master P told TMZ in an interview last;year that, J Cole was hoping to make it into the NBA.
“I believe in him and I believe that he’s a youngster that has a lot of desire”.
The ‘NBA-backed BAL’ kicks off this weekend and the signing of J;Cole, although unorthodox, has shone the spotlight on this new basketball league.
According to some reports, if J Cole makes his debut on Sunday, he;could come up against popular former NBA player, Ben Uzoh who signed for Rivers Hoppers last month. More so, twelve;countries from across the continent will have teams in;the BAL: Tunisia, Egypt, Angola, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon, Mali, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Rwanda.
Meanwhile, J Cole is also gearing up to release one of his most anticipated albums on Thursday, May 14. According to a post by the rapper, the album has taken “years in the making”. It is worth noting that this album follows his ‘KOD’ album which won him several awards. ‘The off-season’ is the first of the three albums J Cole teased his fans with which;caused several speculations of his retirement in the music industry. The other albums, titled ‘It’s a Boy’ and ‘The fall-off’ will also be released much later.
That notwithstanding, just yesterday J Cole released a documentary. ‘Applying Pressure: The Off-Season Documentary’, which is a Scot Lazer;directed movie, was premiered ahead of the release of J Cole’s studio album, ‘The off-season’.
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