J. Cole Earns High Praise Following Basketball African League Debut

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J. Cole officially made his pro basketball debut in the Basketball African League on Sunday (May 16) and although Cole didn’t blow away skeptics with a crazy stat line, he managed to inspire a few fans in the process.

Cole took the court for the Rwanda Patriots on Sunday, coming off the bench in an 83-60 win over the Nigeria River Hoopers. In 17 minutes of action, the 36-year-old North Carolina standout scored three points, grabbed three rebounds, two assists and three turnovers.

“Those Big Perk Numbers!!!” Perkins exclaimed on Twitter. “I see @JColeNC.”

There were a few notable highlights for J. Cole. He scored his first pro bucket on a putback attempt following a fast break and showed he had court vision in setting up teammates for scoring opportunities. Most of all, he looked like a legit pro going up against potential NBA talent. According to multiple reports, Cole is only suiting up for three to six games for the Rwandan club as they attempt to win the inaugural Basketball African League crown.

Cole’s pro debut capped off a big week for the Dreamville boss, following the release of his sixth studio album The Off-Season. According to early projections, the project will debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week, securing Cole’s his sixth consecutive No. 1 debut.

See more reactions to Cole’s pro basketball debut below.