Just a few days after releasing his latest album, The Off-Season, J. Cole has made his official debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The North Carolina-native joined the Rwanda Patriots earlier today for a game against the Nigeria River Hoopers. By all accounts, he was a contributing force and made some key defensive zone plays. In the end, Cole’s Patriots beat the River Hoopers 83-60.
A few days ago, the team welcomed Cole with a post on Instagram:
“The @nbaafricaofficialwelcomes you @realcoleworld in @thebal #1000hills are pleased to have you at @patriotsbbc feel at home. #turipatriots”
The Basketball Africa League is Africa’s premier men’s basketball league, and a joint effort between the NBA and International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The 12-team league replaces FIBA’s Africa Basketball League as the continent’s top-tier league. The inaugural season was originally scheduled for March 3, 2020, but was postponed to May 16, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In terms of format: In the regular season, the twelve teams are divided into two conferences, in which they play five games each. The top three teams from each conference advance to the Super 6. In the Super 6, all teams play in a round-robin competition to determine the four teams that qualify for the final four. The final four is a single-elimination tournament which decides the BAL champion.
Canadians will be able to find coverage of the league on TSN, but you can check out highlights of Cole’s first game below, via YouTube.
J. Cole’s The Off-Season is available now on various digital streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify via Dreamville.
You can follow @TheBAL and @RealColeWorld on Instagram.
