The rapper known as J. Cole took on his other passion in terms of the sport of basketball.  It was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that Cole signed a contract with the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Cole had teamed up with the Basketball Africa League as a member of the Rwanda Patriot. He left in May 2021 due to a “family obligation,” but he reportedly did fulfill his contract as he was only expected to play anywhere from three to six games.

Nicholas “OVO Niko” Corino, who owns the team with Sam Ibrahim, reportedly told Complex that it was Drake that helped put the deal in motion for his fellow Rap mogul.

“You know, Dreamville and OVO are family,” Corino said. “Drake had a birthday party in L.A. last year. The conversation was, ‘I heard you have your team.’ It organically grew from there.”

Complex also reported that Jamaal Magloire, the vice president of the Shooting Stars, praised Cole’s humility and love for the game.

“He just wants to be treated the same, which I thought was very admirable because he is a very special individual,” Magloire reportedly said. “As far as the talent that he has, he’s played this game at a professional level in Africa, so, this is his second stint. We’re bringing him in here to play, contribute, and help us win games. That’s his goal as well. It’s gonna be fun and something that is great for the city of Scarborough and Toronto.”

Drake uploaded a photo of his television screen as he watched Cole on the court.  The fellow hip hop artist wrote, “It’s real @scarboroughshootingstars my brother just checked in [fingers crossed emoji].”