Sports World Reacts To J. Cole's Performance On Sunday
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 17: J. Cole performs at halftime during the 68th NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center on February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jeff Hahne/Getty Images)
Rapper J. Cole garnered headlines with the release of his sixth studio album, The Off-Season, on Friday. On Sunday, he made his professional basketball debut.
The 36-year-old Cole, who played basketball in high school and tried walking on at St. John's, has long been a hoops enthusiast. In an article with The Players Tribunelast summer, he stated that he still dreams of playing in the NBA.
Last week, Cole signed a contract with the Rwanda Patriots of the Basketball Africa League. The team opened up its season today against the Rivers Hoopers, with the 6-foot-3 Cole seeing a solid chunk of playing time.
In 17 total minutes, Cole scored three points on a transition putback and a technical free throw, grabbed three rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. He drew plenty of eyeballs to the fledgling BAL as well.
Here's a snippet of the reaction to Cole's debut from around the sports word.
As the BAL rolls on, we'll see if Cole can continue to carve out a role for himself. It's still pretty wild he's even playing in the first place.
The Basketball Africa League is a two-week tournament featuring 12 of the top club teams in Africa. It will conclude on May 30.
