How Rupert Murdoch Changed Sports Media Forever
Last year, Jermaine Cole — stage name “J. Cole” — played a small role in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) with Rwanda’s Patriots BBC, a hip hop-basketball crossover.
Now, Cole is headed to play in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, joining the Scarborough Shooting Stars before their first game on Wednesday.
Cole is a 6’2” guard who’s no stranger to the game.
He was a walk-on at his alma mater St. John’s University, but he never showed up after deciding to pursue a career in music. In August 2020, the Detroit Pistons extended a tryout invitation to the 37-year-old.
In the BAL, he averaged just 1.7 PPG. And while there’s no word about how much the artist will make playing — it shouldn’t be an issue. His net worth is estimated to be $60 million, earning roughly $30 million per year.
Despite the hype around the Dreamvillain’s pro hoops pursuit, there was some pushback from opposing players. Former Maryland standout and AS Sale star Terrell Stoglin told ESPN that Cole shouldn’t take someone’s job who might have more merit to play pro ball.
