Patriots: J Cole Is A Great Basketball Player
Though Stoglin is critical, Patriots chief operations officer Haydee Ndayishimiye more than defended their decision to include Cole on the team.
Given his basketball background and the Patriots earning a spot in the playoffs, Ndayishimiye argued that its hard to criticize the move.
“Of course, someone as famous as him will bring a lot of attention, but one thing the BAL, Patriots BBC and his team have committed to do is to treat him like any other player,” she said, via ESPN.
“He’s a great basketball player and wants to play the game like everyone else. We understand some other teams may feel this way , but we made a basketball decision first.
“We put together a team that we think can win the BAL championship. We have a roster of over 20 players that were ready to compete, but the final roster could only be 13. We made a basketball decision which can be justified by our performance so far.”
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Us Rapper J Cole Set To Play In Basketball Africa League
Last updated on .From the section Sport Africa
American rapper J Cole is set to play professional basketball for Rwandan side Patriots BBC.
The team will play Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers on Sunday, opening the first ever Basketball Africa League .
Rumours of the signing began when the musician, whose full name is Jermaine Lamarr Cole, was seen in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, at the weekend.
The team’s coach, Alan Major, then confirmed the news to state broadcaster Rwanda TV on Monday.
According to sports news site The Undefeated, Cole arrived in Kigali on Saturday and is currently in quarantine ahead of Sunday’s game.
Rwandan paper The New Times also tweeted a video of Cole wearing a Patriots jersey, adding that he “could feature” in the NBA-backed league.
The 36-year-old Grammy Award winner is expected to play three to six games this season, CBS reports.
J Cole is known to be a huge basketball fan and has referenced Lebron James and Michael Jordan in his music, but he has no professional basketball experience
In 2012 he appeared in the NBA’s Celebrity All Star game which is held during the league’s annual All Star Weekend.
At the 2019 All Stars game he performed during the half-time show.
J Cole Signs Deal To Play For Rwandan Basketball Club
J. Cole may have made his career in music, but hes not ready to give up on his hoop dreams.
According toESPN, the North Carolina rapper signed a deal to play in the Basketball Africa League with Rwandas Patriots BBC. Cole is expected to play three to six games during the season with his signing reportedly becoming official on Thursday .
The African league consists of 12 teams. Coles first game will be against the Nigeria River Hoopers on Sunday, CBS Sports reports.
Additionally, New Times Rwanda tweeted a video of what shows J. Cole in his jersey. He is also reportedly on the clubs roster.
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J Cole Makes Pro Basketball Debut For Rwanda Patriots And Scores
Rapper J. Cole made his pro basketball debut in the Basketball Africa League and scored for the Rwanda Patriots.
He is wearing the #15 jersey.
J. Coles first bucket in
It was a simple put back tip-in off a rush, but nonetheless, it was the first of his pro career. Rapper J. Cole dropped the album The Off-Season earlier in May which is getting rave reviews from the NBA community.
J. Cole signed with the Rwanda Patriots earlier this year for the BAL Tournament which runs from May 16th until May 30th. There is nothing set for after the tournament, but it looks like he is trying to showcase something he has some talent for and do something he has always dreamed of doing.
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J Cole Signs With Rwanda Patriots
Coles love of basketball is a well-known fact he has referenced it throughout his musical career and once harboured hopes of becoming a professional player. The 36-year-olds only on-court experience before the matchup on Sunday came in high school and university.
Word got out that Cole had signed for the Rwanda Patriots after his named was listed on the team roster released on Friday. Cole, who wears the number 15 jersey for the African outfit, was brought onto the team to play as a shooting guard.
J. Cole is a very good shooter. We picked him because he has a really high IQ for the game, Patriots chief operations officer Haydee Ndayishimiye said to AFP.
He has a history of playing the game We just thought that he was a great fit with the team and as we have seen in practice he is gelling well with the team. While they are practicing with him, they are looking good out there. He really compliments the team, said Ndayishimiye.
She added that Coles contract was confidential and he will only be with the Patriots until the inaugural BAL tournament comes to an end on 30 May.
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The Team Will Play Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers On Sunday Opening The First
Rwanda patriots jersey j cole. Crush your 2021 draft with the awesemo draft kit. Cole will play in jersey number 15 for the team representing rwanda in the bal american rap star j. His name featured on the roster of 13 players released friday night by patriots head coach alan major.
The rwandan newspaper the new times broke the news on sunday and revealed that the middle child rapper touched down in the east african country over the weekend. Cole #15 rwanda patriots jersey. j cole is a very good shooter.
J cole surprised many when he decided to be an active player in the tournament to be staged in a bubble due to covid 19. Additionally, new times rwanda tweeted a video of what shows j. Sale juice wrld #999 hockey jersey.
brand new, comes with tags looking for a specific jersey? American rapper j cole is set to play professional basketball for rwandan side patriots bbc. We picked him because he has a really high iq for the game, patriots chief operations officer haydee ndayishimiye told afp.
Cole joins rwanda basketball team. Cole is reportedly listed as one of four possible foreign players for the patriots, which will compete in the. We picked him because he has a really high iq for the game, patriots chief operations officer haydee ndayishimiye told afp.
Cole makes pro basketball debut for rwanda patriots and scores. He is wearing the #15 jersey. Cole is a very good shooter.
Cole is a very good shooter.
Pin by Jeff Sawyer on PATRIOTS !!! in 2020 New england
J Cole To Reportedly Play For Rwanda Patriots In Basketball Africa League
The rapper is on the roster as a possible foreign player for the East African team, ESPN and The Undefeated report.
J. Cole is preparing to play professional basketball for the Rwanda Patriots, The Undefeated and ESPN report. The Rwandan newspaper The New Times broke the news on Sunday and revealed that the Middle Child rapper touched down in the East African country over the weekend.
Cole is reportedly listed as one of four possible foreign players for the Patriots, which will compete in the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League. Sources told The Undefeated that Cole is currently self-quarantining to be able to play in the leagues first game this Sunday and that his involvement with the team will be made official this Thursday .
Neither Cole nor his management have confirmed or denied the reports.
The Basketball Africa League was first introduced back in 2019 and was formally announced this March. The league will include 12 national teams from the countries of Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique and Rwanda. Each team will include at least eight local players and up to four foreign athletes.
Coles potential to go pro has long been reported on. The North Carolina native was a star player for his high school basketball team and was a walk-on for St. Johns Red Storm mens basketball team. However, he ultimately chose to pursue his rapping career over basketball.
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What Happened To J Cole Basketball Africa League 2021 Preview
Earlier this month, J. Cole signed a deal to play in the inaugural Basketball Africa League with Rwanda’s Patriots BBC. The rapper was expected to play between three to six games for the African side during the course of the season. However, upon completing the J. Cole Rwanda Patriots BBC contract on Wednesday, he immediately left the African continent to return home ahead of the team’s quarter-finals on Thursday.
The BAL is a partnership between FIBA and the NBA, marking the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America. The inaugural season will feature a total of 26 games, beginning first with an 18-game group phase for each of the league’s 12 teams. The top eight teams from the group phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be single elimination in all three rounds. The first BAL finals will be held on Sunday, May 30.
NBA Retweet May 26, 2021
J Cole Is Taking His Talents To The Court
Rapper J. Cole. has signed a deal to play in the Basketball Africa League with Rwanda’s Patriots BBC, according to ESPN. He is expected to play three to six games this season. The signing will reportedly become official on Thursday.
The league consists of 12 teams, and J.Cole’s first game with Rwanda’s Patriots BBC will be against the Nigeria River Hoopers on Sunday.
New Times Rwanda tweeted a video of what appeared to be J. Cole in his jersey. They also reported that he is on the club’s roster.
#BREAKING: American rapper J. Cole is in Rwanda and could feature for local side Patriots at the upcoming Basketball Africa League.The New Times has learned he is on the club’s roster for the competition.
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J Cole Leaves Basketball Africa League Due To Family Obligation
The Reason The Cutlass Is Blue |FNR_TIGG
: Just days after ESPN reported J. Cole had completed his contract with the Basketball Africa League and returned home due to a family obligation, it appears his basketball career is officially over.
Cole took to Instagram on Thursday to share a final message to his fans in Africa.
So many thank yous are due, Cole wrote in a post. Thank you to @thebal and to @patriotsbbc for the opportunity. Thank you to my teamates , the coaches and staff for treating me like family. I learned so much in the few weeks we were together. Congrats on that win tonight and good luck next game.
The 36-year-old went on to thank Puma, which signed him last year to a multi-year sponsorship deal, for supporting a dream from day 1, as well as the country of Rwanda for making him feel welcome during his stay. Thank you to the entire country of Rwanda and to the city of Kigali for hosting us, Cole continued. BEAUTIFUL land with BEAUTIFUL people. To anyone considering visiting or moving to the continent, from everything I saw and heard, I would recommend you consider Kigali and Rwanda in general.
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Coles professional basketball career has come to a closeat least for now.
Sources told ESPNs Marc J. Spears that the rapper has completed his contractual obligations to the Basketball Africa League and has returned home from Rwanda due to a family obligation.
J Cole Proves His Basketball Skills In Rwanda Patriots Bbc Debut The Rapper Scored Three Points For The Winning Team On Saturday
On Saturday, May 15, rapper, J. Cole made his professional basketball debut for the Rwanda Patriots BBC of the Basketball Africa League .
The Patriots BBC ended up winning 83-60 against the Nigerian Rivers Hoopers, with Cole contributing three points to the game.
Earlier this year, the 36-year-old signed with the Rwanda Patriots BBC to play in the 2021 BAL inaugural season.
Originally scheduled to take place in March 2020, the BAL tournament was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament will be held completely in Kigali, Rwanda, and will run until May 30.
Cole is not the first to cross between basketball and rap. In 1993, Shaq released an album, You Cant Stop the Reign, which eventually went platinum. The late Kobe Bryant released a 1999 single, Kobe, featuring the one and only Tyra Banks.
Cole has hinted beforeand not so subtly at his desire to play basketball professionally. Last year, he published an article in The Players Tribune which reflected upon his difficult decision of sacrificing playing basketball for rap in his youth.
Moreover, in February 2020 he signed a multiyear deal with PUMA, and debuted his first sneaker, the PUMA RS-Dreamer.
To promote the sneaker, PUMA collaborated with Cole to create the short film The Dreamer which recounts Coles continuing love of basketball despite his success as a musician.
yoo where can we cop Coles Patriots jersey?
ROY RUTTO-san May 17, 2021
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‘he Took Someone’s Job That Deserves It’
Cole joined the BAL’s Rwanda Patriots BBC and made his debut earlier this month. He dropped three points, three rebounds and two assists in his debut.
Cole, 36, was a high school standout in North Carolina and walked on to play at St. Johns University before he eventually left to focus on music.
Stoglin who played two seasons at Maryland from 2010-12 became the first player in the BAL to put up 40 points in a single game last week. AS Sale, a team out of Morocco, is currently third in Group South with a 5-3 record.
“I live in a basketball world. I don’t live in a fan world. I know a lot of guys that had their careers stopped by COVID and they’re still home working out and training for an opportunity like this, he said, via ESPN.
“For a guy who has so much money and has another career to just come here and average, like, one point a game and still get glorified is very disrespectful to the game. It’s disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their whole lives for this.
“The positive side of it is: it brings a lot of attention, and, I guess, money. I don’t really pay attention to that type of stuff. I’m more he took someone’s job that deserved it.”
What Happened To J Cole The American Rapper Immediately Left Rwanda After His Contractual Obligations With The Bal Outfit Were Met On Wednesday
Rapper J. Coles basketball career has come to an end for now. On Wednesday, it was revealed that J. Cole met his contractual obligations with the Rwanda Patriots BBC in the inaugural Basketball Africa League and left Rwanda with immediate effect. However, fans on social media were curious to know about the what happened to J. Cole and why did J. Cole leave Basketball Africa League as he was initially eager to pursue his career in professional basketball.
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Why Did J Cole Leave Basketball Africa League
Earlier on Thursday, reports from ESPN revealed that rapper J. Cole was departing Rwanda due to a family obligation, but did not elaborate on the circumstances. Representatives for the Rwanda Patriots did not immediately respond for comment on the rappers departure. Although J. Coles presence on the inaugural roster garnered mass media attention for the league, not all players were happy about his short-term residence.
AS Sale guard Terrell Stoglin spoke to the media on Wednesday and said, For a guy who has so much money and has another career to just come here and average, like, one point a game and still get glorified is very disrespectful to the game. He added, Its disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their whole lives for this.
Jermaine J Cole Cole’s Sojourn Into Professional Basketball Appears To Be Over Espn’s Marc Spears Reports The 36
TSN.ca Staff
J. Cole , TSN
Jermaine “J. Cole” Cole’s sojourn into professional basketball appears to be over.
Source confirms rapper J. Cole of the Rwanda Patriots BBC has completed his contractual obligation to the Basketball Africa League and has departed from Rwanda due to a family obligation, a source said. J. Cole had five points, three assists and five rebounds in three games.
Marc J. Spears May 26, 2021
ESPN’s Marc Spears reports the 36-year-old rapper has completed his contractual obligations with the Rwanda Patriots of the Basketball Africa League and has left the country.
The Fayetteville, NC native had five points, three assists and five boards in three games.
Cole’s presence in the league wasn’t without controversy.
Former Maryland player Terrell Stoglin, the league’s leading scorer as a member of AS Sale, called Cole being on a roster “disrespectful.”
“I think there’s a negative and a positive ,” Stoglin said in an interview with ESPN on Monday. “The negative part of it is: I think he took someone’s job that deserves it. I live in a basketball world. I don’t live in a fan world. I know a lot of guys that had their careers stopped by COVID and they’re still home working out and training for an opportunity like this.
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Patriots Defeat Rivers Hoopers In Tournament Opener
Cole enjoyed a quiet professional debut, coming off the bench to score 3 points, grab 3 rebounds and dish out 2 assists in 17 minutes.
Patriots Basketball Club from Rwanda beat Nigerias Rivers Hoopers 83-60 in the tournament opener in Kigali on Sunday.
The teams seemed pretty evenly matched in the early stages of the match but once the Patriots started gaining momentum the Hoopers could not find any answers.
The first quarter ended 18-17 in favour of the Nigerians, upon the restart Prince Ibeh, a 2.08-metre tall Center, got the Patriots going with two blockbuster slam dunks. They scored 13 points without reply and took control of the game.
This Prince Ebeh SLAM is your Play of the Game #theBAL
Basketball Africa League May 16, 2021
Power Forward Brandon Costner led the box score in the match with 20 points while Ibeh contributed with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Rivers Hoopers featured former NBA point guard Ben Uzoh who scored the first points in the newly formed tournament but unfortunately, that wasnt enough to secure victory for the team.
The Patriots will play their next match on Tuesday, 18 May when they take on Madagascars GNBC.
The Hoopers, on the other hand, will face US Monastir from Tunisia.
Additional reporting by AFP.
