BOITUMELO RANTAO
AMERICAN rapper Jermaine Cole (known as J.Cole) has been added to the BBC Patriots (Rwanda) roster for the upcoming Basketball Africa League (BAL).
He was photographed training with the Patriots ahead of the team’s first game.
Cole has been seen on social media training with National Basketball Association (NBA) trainers synonymous with superstars such as Carmelo Anthony and CJ McCollum from the Portland Trailblazers.
Speculations had surfaced that Cole, who previously played basketball before his rap career, was training to become an NBA player.
The rapper has previously told rap legend Master P of his attempt to play at the highest basketball level in the world.
Master P said in 2020: Master P said in 2020, “I talked to J. Cole, he was like ‘You know, big dawg you did it. What do you think I would have to do to make it happen?’
“I said to get one of these NBA jerseys, it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be a lot of hate, it’s gonna be a lot of people not believing in you but you know J. Cole — he got the right size, he in the gym.
“They’ve been putting their whole life into this. So, you’re gonna have to prove you’re worthy of being on that court. I believe in him and I believe that he’s a youngster that has a lot of desire.” he concluded.
The reported news of Cole having signed to play in the BAL – which is organized and regulated by the NBA – makes it the first time any player associated with the NBA would train and play for an African team.
Excitement is mounting as the BAL is set to tip-off on May 16.
The 12 teams set to compete in the BAL are: Zamalek (Egypt), Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozambique), GNBC (Madagascar), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), Petro de Luanda (Angola), AS Douanes (Senegal), AS Police (Mali), FAP (Cameroon), Union Sportive Monastir (Tunisia), AS Sale (Morocco), GSP (Algeria), and Patriots (Rwanda).
