In today’s NBA, athletes such as Damian Lillard, Victor Oladipo, Andre Drummond, and many others transitioned into music artists when off the court. As for rap star J. Cole, he’s looking to pick up from where he left off since his basketball dreams were put on hold a early a decade ago. Cole according to a Twitter post by the Detroit Pistons tagged and informed him about potentially earning his NBA shot.
The reason the Pistons can’t be taken seriously for a tweet saying ” This is for all the dreamers” is that many dreamers who hoop don’t have J. Cole status. It’s a fact the average basketball player would be denied an official tryout by an NBA team since NBA roster spots are available for free agents, undrafted players, NBA G-League players or NBA summer league prospects. Every fall and spring, the NBA G-League host tryouts for an opportunity to fill an NBA affiliate roster spot which rarely happens.
New Orleans native and Hip Hop business mogul Master P is no stranger to lacing up his shoes on the hardwood. Although he played for the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Hornets during the 1998 and 1999 NBA pre-season, there is no telling how far J. Cole can last if Pistons head coach Dwayne Casey and scouts sign the Hip Hop prospect.
Master P mentioned how his conversation with J. Cole was about getting some great advice heading into this direction.
“When I talked to J. Cole, he was like you know big dog you did it, and ugh what do you think I would have to do to make it happen,” said Master P.
Master P replied “to get one of these NBA jerseys, it’s not gone be easy. It’s gone be a lot of hate. It’s gone be a lot of people not believing in you. You can’t just go there because you J.Cole the artist. Nobody cares about that.”
As a walk-on for D1 college St. John’s University, Cole never responded to the call back from the team as he decided to pursue his full-time career and focus on rap. How many can say they were a walk-on at a notable D1 college that produced talent such as Chris Mullen and current NBA play-by-play analyst Mark Jackson?
Cole game is predicated on catch and shoot with the ability to create shots. He can shoot off the dribble and has a soft touch when releasing the ball. If Cole believes he deserves a shot, he should fight for many underdogs who may have had D1 talent, but had minor or major setbacks. If the Pistons are showing this kind of love, maybe the New York Knicks can use a shooter like Cole to revive Madison Square Garden. Cole would easily be a 23 point per game scorer if the perimeter is his hot spot. However, the Pistons offense wouldn’t be built around him and the debate on rather if he would start would be an interesting outcome.
For video and Tweets, flip the pages.