What Comes After ‘The Off-Season’

J-Cole Signs In the Canadian Elite Basketball League

We’ve seen celebrities courtside, in ownership suites, and even playing in all-star celebrity games - but we have never seen something like this in our lifetime. J-Cole. Jermaine. Cole. The man who went double platinum with no features and is regarded by many as one of the best rappers in the game right now, has signed with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

The Scarborough Shooting Stars are one of two expansion teams heading into the 2022 CEBL season (including the Montreal Alliance and Newfoundland Growlers), and have made a splash with yesterday’s announcement that they signed J-Cole. The news broke on Twitter, with Shams Chariana being one of the first to report it - and the reactions poured in quickly.

Thousands of people flocked to the Shooting Stars’ ticketing website, which was only on-sale with season tickets, and users had to wait in queues with over 3000 people ahead of them just to see available inventory. While the Shooting Stars still have hundreds of season tickets left, one can only expect to see the site crash multiple times when single game tickets are released.

With the excitement of this announcement also comes a lot of questions. How many games will J-Cole play? J-Cole made headlines just over a year ago when he signed in the Basketball Africa League (though he left the league after 3 games). With three new teams, the CEBL is certaining on pace to make its biggest splash yet in the 2022 season. Though J-Cole’s time in the league may be short, it is critical for the league to be able to make a lasting impact on all the new eyez it will be attracting heading into May 26th’s season opener. The league and team announcement felt underwhelming with respect to the gravity of J-Cole’s celebrity status and brand as a rapper and basketball fan.

He debuted with ‘The Sideline Story’, and now Cole World takes on the courts of Scarborough. Jermaine’s Dream(ville) continues.

Published: May 20, 2022 - Issue 39 of The Sport Marketeer