Former Lakers Coach Says Rapper as Good as D1 College Player
Ice Cube famously rapped, "Get me on the court and I'm trouble," in his song It Was a Good Day. So celebrities often have crossover desires, whether it's a musician wanting to be an actor or vice versa.
Many young people have grown up in a world where Ice Cube is an actor to them, never having been around during his peak as a rapper with N.W.A. or throughout his solo career.
Rapper J. Cole walked on to the basketball team while attending St. John's University on an athletic scholarship. He also briefly played for the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club in the Basketball Africa League, an NBA-run league, in 2021.
Phil Handy, a Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach from 2019 to 2024, worked out Cole before his stint playing professionally in Africa. Handy believes that, at the time, Cole was on the same level as a "high D2, low D1" player.
Over three games, Cole averaged 15 minutes per game for the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club, contributing 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds.
In 2022, he signed with Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, a franchise owned by Nicholas "Niko" Carino, a founding member of October's Very Own, Drake's record label.
J. Cole performs with audience reflection on screen
© Christine Tannous / The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK
In five games, Cole averaged nine minutes, 2.4 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.
Cole, 39, has released six studio albums and won two Grammys. His newest mixtape, Might Delete Later, was nominated for Best Rap Album for the upcoming 2025 Grammys.
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