J. Cole Signs With Chinese Basketball Association's Nanjing Monkey Kings

The rapper will join the Chinese league for the 2026-2027 season after previous stints in the Basketball Africa League and Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 5:25pm

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Grammy-winning rapper J. Cole has signed with the Chinese Basketball Association to play for the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the 2026-2027 season. This is not the first time Cole has played professionally, as he previously signed with the Basketball Africa League and Canadian Elite Basketball League. The length of his commitment to the Chinese league is currently undisclosed.

Why it matters

J. Cole's move to the Chinese Basketball Association represents the latest chapter in his long-standing passion for basketball, which he has often used as a metaphor for his musical growth and development. The rapper has praised players like Steph Curry and sees the sport as a way to measure his own progress and push himself to improve.

The details

Cole will most likely join the Chinese Basketball Association in December for the 2026-2027 season, which ended on February 3. The rapper recently released his seventh album, The Fall-Off, which was billed as his final album, and is scheduled to embark on a world tour starting in July 2026.

  • The 2025-2026 Chinese Basketball Association season ended on February 3.
  • Cole will likely join the league in December for the 2026-2027 season.

The players

J. Cole

A Grammy-winning rapper who has previously played professionally in the Basketball Africa League and Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Nanjing Monkey Kings

A team in the Chinese Basketball Association that J. Cole has signed with for the 2026-2027 season.

Steph Curry

A star player for the Golden State Warriors, whom J. Cole has praised in interviews.

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What they’re saying

“I just love the competition of it. 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.”

— J. Cole, Rapper

“My writing is the same way. My rap is the same passion. I want to push myself. Basketball gives me something measurable.”

— J. Cole, Rapper

What’s next

The length of J. Cole's commitment to the Chinese Basketball Association's Nanjing Monkey Kings is currently undisclosed, so it remains to be seen how long he will play for the team.

The takeaway

J. Cole's move to the Chinese Basketball Association demonstrates his long-standing passion for the sport and his desire to use it as a way to measure his own growth and development, both in basketball and in his music career.