Rapper J. Cole picked up his side quest of being a professional basketball player again in 2026 after the rapper joined the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the premier Chinese basketball league.
Cole debuted in the CBA with the Monkey Kings on Saturday, playing eight minutes and shooting 0-5 in a 95-81 loss. While it was clear his teammates were trying to get the multi-platinum rapper a bucket, the 41-year-old struggled to shine amongst the best players in one of the most competitive basketball leagues in the world. Fans have been waiting to see what Cole would do in the second of three games he was expected to play for them, but plans have changed.
Cole announced on his blog ‘Inevitable’ that he’ll be leaving the Nanjing Monkey Kings in a lengthy statement, alluding to visa issues cutting his time short. He said that he could return to the team after the world tour for his new album is over, provided he stays in shape.
“What’s the word! My apologies for the delay in the posts. I meant to put up the other interviews on here, but had too much going on. I recorded Nadeska, Cam, Lost in Vegas, and then Melo all within one week and had to immediately head to Hong Kong to wait for a visa so I could play basketball in mainland China. Initially, I was scheduled to play in at least 3 games for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA. The work visa process took way longer than expected, so I was only able to play in one before heading back.”
“I want to say thank you to the Nanjing club and to the CBA for allowing me to have that incredible experience. Also, to my teammates who were mad cool, and who really wanted me to get a bucket! I got to play 8 minutes in one of the top leagues in the world, got a few good looks, but wasn’t able to hit one. A couple more games and maybe those shots would have started to fall! Either way, I’m fulfilled and grateful! S—, I feel like I dropped 20 !!! And my knees felt like I played 40 minutes!”
The Monkey Kings had given Cole the opportunity to play on their team in an effort to boost their relationship with the NBA ecosystem in the United States. Cole is a minority owner with the Charlotte Hornets and has previously worked closely with the NBA, whether it was his career in NBA Africa or the multiple commercial engagements he’s done with the league. Monkey Kings general manager Zhen Wang confirmed the same (h/t Complex).
“Since he’s the minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, we’re hoping that through his position, he can maybe help more of our domestic players get opportunities to train and play in the U.S.”
Cole might be welcome back in the CBA if he’s going to be the window of opportunity those teams need to get more American visibility on them. He hasn’t made a strong basketball case over his fleeting professional career, but it is incredibly cool that he can make opportunities like these happen for himself.
Cole has previously played for the Basketball African League (BAL) in 2021 and for the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in 2022. He averaged 1.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in three games with BAL’s Patriots Basketball Club and 2.4 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in four games with CEBL’s Scarborough Shooting Stars.
