Despite an underwhelming stint with the Rwanda Patriots last year, Grammy Award-winning rapper J. Cole still isn’t ready to put to bed his pro basketball career. Instead, Cole will now take his talents to Canadian Elite Professional League (CEBL), where he’ll play as a guard with the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
CEBL officially confirmed the news on their Twitter on Thursday.
Speaking about Cole’s arrival to the league, CEBL’s CEO Mike Morreale revealed that the music star is committed to the cause and believes he can make an impact with the Shootings Stars in a basketball sense.
“This is no different, this is more high profile, but it was done all for the right reasons,” Morreale said. “He’s not coming here to entertain us beyond (basketball), and just from my time, my experience with him, I am really excited about what he can bring.”
Cole played high school basketball with North Carolina’s Terry Sanford High School. He then attended St. John’s University, where he tried out as a walk-on but failed to make the team. Still, the “Power Trip” rapper never abandoned his dream of becoming a pro.
In 2021, Cole managed to land a deal with Rwanda-based Patriots, which competes in the Basketball Africa League. However, his first shot at pro basketball didn’t end up going well, as he only made three appearances before leaving the team due to “family commitments.” In those three games, the 37-year-old rapper saw 45 minutes of playing time and totaled five points, five rebounds, and three assists.
