J. Cole, Oldest CBA Foreign Player Ever

On April 2 (Beijing time), ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that renowned rapper J. Cole has signed with the Nanjing Tongxi team in the CBA. Shortly afterward, Tongxi’s official social media livestream showed footage of J. Cole in training, indirectly confirming the news.

In addition, Tongxi general manager Wang Zhen posted a video on social media of himself picking up J. Cole at the airport. He said: “Last July, I had dinner with J. Cole in the U.S., and he kept telling me he has a dream of playing professionally. That actually aligns well with our club’s slogan: ‘Tongxi is a big stage—if you have a dream, come here.’ His decision to play professionally in China can help raise the CBA’s global profile. Also, he is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. We hope his role can help more Chinese players get opportunities to train and compete in the U.S., and also use his network to bring more high-quality foreign players to the CBA.”

According to statistics, the 41-year-old J. Cole will become the oldest foreign player in CBA history. Previously, the oldest foreign player in the league was former Beijing Ducks star Stephon Marbury, who retired at the age of 40.

Standing at 1.88 meters, J. Cole has previously played in professional leagues in Africa and Canada. He is better known as a musician and has won multiple Grammy Awards.