J. Cole Reportedly Signs Professional Basketball Contract, Where Will Musician Play?

Rapper J. Cole signed a professional contract with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Per Charania, J. Cole previously committed to suiting up in a few games for the Monkey Kings in 2025.

He'll now be playing basketball professionally for the third different league, as he previously competed in the Basketball Africa League in 2021 and the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2022.

He started with the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club in the Basketball Africa League, appearing in three games with the team. Cole recorded five points, three assists and five rebounds in 45 minutes of action.

The 41-year-old went on to play in five contests with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the CEBL, averaging 2.4 points and 0.6 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. It's worth noting that he shot 4-of-8 from three-point territory.

Cole previously played basketball in high school and has given shoutouts to several NBA players on his songs. This includes a mixtape he released during the lead-up to his most recent album, The Fall-Off.

As for Nanjing, it currently sits at No. 17 in the CBA standings with an 11-21 record as 10 games remain in the season.

The Monkey Kings' roster contains several former NBA players including Tacko Fall, T.J. Leaf and Jalen Harris.