Hip-hop superstar J. Cole has single-handedly brought more exposure and attention to the Basketball Africa League than anyone else in the league’s inaugural season. The Grammy-winning artist is pulling double duty with his music and playing ball for the Rwanda Patriots, but not everyone in the BAL is hyped about the famous hitmaker.
129 Views
Comments Off on Basketball Star Tries To Ether J. Cole’s Hoop Dreams
J. Cole Playing In BAL ‘Disrespectful’ Says Opponent
Terrell Stoglin is a former star point guard at the University of Maryland who currently plays for AS Sale (Morocco) in the Basketball Africa League. Stoglin told ESPN that having J. Cole — who is 36 years old and hasn’t played competitively since high school — in the league is “disrespectful” despite the obvious upside.
“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 I feel is very disrespectful to the game. It’s disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their whole lives for this.”
J. Cole was recently featured on the cover of SLAM, a basketball magazine, prior to the start of his rookie hoops season, and he seems to pop up on “SportsCenter” whenever he does anything noteworthy on the court.
“The positive side of it is — it brings a lot of attention, and, I guess, money. I don’t pay attention to that type of stuff. I’m more [concerned that] he took someone’s job that deserved it.”
Rick Ross Responds To Cole Criticism
Miami rap mogul Rick Ross isn’t here for the disrespect on Cole’s name. The Boss went to his Instagram Story to defend the rapper/ballplayer and drop some knowledge on critics like Stoglin.
“First and foremost, shouldn’t no Black man’s dreams be censored nor limited. Coming from a brother, I think you would understand what building these types of relationships would do for the business. For the eyes on the industry, you know what I’m sayin’?
“You should be there to support the brother. If he made one point in the first game, by the time he get to the 10th, you should make sure he making six (points) a game, you understand?”
J. Cole’s Team Speaks Up
While J. Cole hasn’t commented publicly on the criticism, his team has come forward to justify his spot on the roster . Patriots COO Haydee Ndayishimiye insists this isn’t just a publicity stunt.
“He’s a great basketball player and wants to play the game like everyone else. We understand some other teams may feel this way [as Stoglin does], but we made a basketball decision first.”
Making The Highlight Reel
After scoring three points in his debut for the Patriots, Cole went scoreless in his second game. He did, however, make a highlight-reel defensive play that would’ve made his buddy LeBron James proud.
J. Cole with the block and keeps it inbounds ?
