J. Cole signed with Scarborough Shooting Stars with help from Drake.
As reported last week, J. Cole is continuing his basketball dream as he signed to Canadian Elite Basketball League’s team Scarborough Shooting Stars and he will play this which kicks off today as they visit Guelph Nighthawks.
According to Complex, J. Cole’s good friend Drake is one of the reasons behind his contract with the league. Nicholas “Niko” Carino, Drizzy’s friend and one of the co-founders of OVO, is also a co-owner of the Shooting Stars franchise. Jermaine and Carino had a conversation regarding basketball last year during Drake’s birthday party.
“You know, Dreamville and OVO are family,” said Carino. “Drake had a birthday party in L.A. last year. The conversation was, ‘I heard you have your team.’ It organically grew from there.”
J. Cole putting in work on the basketball court. 👀 pic.twitter.com/u1hMBF5l7e
— Culture Jam (@culturejam) May 13, 2022
“There was a common alignment. He wanted to play, we knew some of his people, and so it came together,” said Sam Ibrahim, the other co-owner of the franchise. “Lots of hurdles, lots of roadblocks, but now he’s on this team, he’s earning his time, and he’s a great colleague to the younger guys. He’s embraced Scarborough just like the rest of us. It’s actually really cool. He loves the city, he loves the slang, he loves the stuff that only we say.”
Olu Famutimi, a fellow Shooting Stars player had some good words for Cole after first week of training camp. “J. Cole, he’s really putting in the work,” said Famutimi. “Whatever we’re doing, he’s doing probably even more. Comes in early, stays late, and his drive right now, he wants to become better and wants to be known as a guy that can really hoop.”
The deal had an instant impact as fans flocked to Ticketmaster to try to get tickets to wherever he could be playing, and it became evident at the team’s media day that this transaction is as much about basketball as it is about business for an expansion franchise beginning its debut season.
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