J. Cole ends stint with Chinese pro hoops team

J. Cole departs after fulfilling single-season contract

Grammy-winning rapper J. Cole has officially completed his single-season contract with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, bringing his pro basketball experiment to a quiet close, the club confirmed Sunday.

The 38-year-old North Carolina native, born Jermaine Cole, appeared in 11 games and averaged 9.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 24.7 minutes while logging 403 total minutes for the CBA outfit. Despite stepping away from music for most of the year, Cole shot 41 percent from the field and demonstrated bursts of the explosive first step that once earned him a scholarship offer from St. John's.

Cole is eligible to sign with any NBA, G League or international club when the next transfer window opens, sources told ESPN, but those close to the artist say he intends to re-enter the recording studio and resume work on a follow-up to his chart-topping 2021 album "The Off-Season." The rapper posted a brief farewell to teammates on Instagram Saturday, writing, "Ball was life for a season, now it's back to life as usual."

Xinjiang finished the regular season 17-11 and clinched a playoff berth Saturday with a victory over the Jiangsu Dragons, meaning Cole will not be on the roster for the upcoming postseason run. Club executives had hoped to extend the guard through the finals, but a person familiar with negotiations told ESPN that Cole's management team declined an option that would have paid him roughly $900,000 for two additional months.

Cole had previously acknowledged that his basketball ambition was rooted in childhood dreams of the NBA and described the CBA move as "an unfinished chapter I owe to 12-year-old me." Players and coaching staff praised the rapper's work ethic, noting that he traveled on economy flights and attended every practice during Xinjiang's brutal 36-game schedule. Veteran forward Abolz Abudurexiti called Cole "a natural leader who earned respect by diving for loose balls and running the stairs after losses."

Next chapter uncertain

The artist's exit comes amid international intrigue about whether any NBA organization will offer a Summer League invitation, but executives contacted by ESPN expressed skepticism, citing roster limitations and the advanced age of Cole, who has not played competitive ball since walking on at Fayetteville State in 2012.

Cole left China on Sunday bound for New York, sources told ESPN, carrying a stat sheet and, in his words, "one hell of a story" for the next album.