Rapper J. Cole signs shock professional basketball deal aged 41

Rapper J. Cole has signed a contract to play professional basketball, it has been reported.

Cole - full name Jermaine Cole - is one of the most successful rappers of the modern era and has won two Grammy Awards.

But he also played basketball at high school, and signed a contract to play in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2022.

He played four games for the franchise but, understandably, was limited in how much he could feature due to his music commitments.

Now, four years on and at the age of 41, Cole is set to make a surprise move to Asia.

ESPN report that he has signed a contract to play for Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association.

The Kings are currently in 17th position out of 20 teams in the 2025/26 season, with a record of 11-22.

Cole was a high school basketballer (Image: Getty)

They finished in 12th place last season, occupying the final play-off spot.

It is reported that Cole committed to playing 'a few games' for the franchise last year, and is now honouring his commitment.

He told Revolt last week that, at 41, he had realised that it 'might be my last shot' to play professional basketball - though admitted that he will not be at peak levels of fitness.

"The basketball s**t is like me just trying to scratch a last itch of like, 'Yo, let me see if I can do this. Could I train and be able to go play professional', because these teams in these league are looking at it like, 'He's not a**. He can come be on the court, and he can give our league some publicity'.

"I'm looking at the clock like, 'Boy, I'm getting older. This might be my last shot'.

"I'm going to keep my word to them [the Kings] and show up and play a couple of games, although I know I'm not in the best of shape because the album [The Fall-Off, his newest album].

"I'm going to go out there and have fun with it."