Grammy-winner J. Cole is putting down the mic and once again, lacing up his high tops. The rapper has signed with the Chinese Basketball Association to play for the Nanjing Monkey Kings in Jiangsu. Diehard fans know this isn’t the first time he’s stepped into the international world of professional basketball.
Cole previously signed with the Basketball Africa League, playing with the Rwanda Patriots in 2021. The following year, he joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
China’s 2025-2026 basketball season ended on February 3, so Cole will most likely join the league in December for the 2026-2027 season. According to ESPN, the length of his commitment is currently undisclosed.
Meanwhile, J. Cole released his seventh album, The Fall-Off, on February 6. It was billed as his final album, after years of development. The Fall-Off World Tour is scheduled to kick off on July 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spans 73 dates across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The tour concludes on December 12 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
J. Cole is No Stranger to Basketball as Both a Sport and a Metaphor for His Music Career
J. Cole’s latest foray into professional basketball shouldn’t surprise longtime fans. The rapper has often been seen courtside and has praised players like Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry in interviews. But for Cole, basketball represents more than a game or a way to take a break from music. It’s a way to actively measure both internal and external growth.
“I just love the competition of it,” he said in a March 2026 appearance on the podcast 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony. “But more than a competition against somebody else, it’s really against yourself. It’s like a mastery or an ability, because I never mastered anything. But I know what it’s like to get better than I was yesterday, or a week ago, or a month ago, or a year ago.”
He continued, “That’s what I love about basketball. I can measure my growth, I can see it … And I feel like I need that in my life.”
Cole added that he has a similar approach to his music career.
“My writing is the same way. My rap is the same passion,” he said. “I want to push myself. Basketball gives me something measurable.”
The post J. Cole Signs With the Chinese Basketball Association’s Nanjing Monkey Kings appeared first on VICE.
