J. Cole Ends China Basketball Stint Early After Scoreless Debut But Calls Experience “Fulfilling”

J. Cole has ended his brief stint with the Nanjing Monkey Kings after just one game in the Chinese Basketball Association, announcing his departure days after a scoreless debut. The rapper cited work visa delays and called the experience fulfilling.

READ ALSO: J. Cole Plays Eight Minutes In Viral CBA Game for Nanjing Monkey Kings

J. Cole stepped onto the court in China chasing a hoop dream but walked away days later with something far more personal.

The Grammy-winning rapper has officially wrapped up his brief run in the Chinese Basketball Association after just one appearance with the Nanjing Monkey Kings, surprising fans who expected a longer stint. His lone outing came in an 81-95 loss to the Guangzhou Loong Lions on Saturday at Wutaishan Sports Center, where anticipation gave way to a quiet stat line.

View this post on Instagram

Two days after the debut, Cole confirmed on social media that his time with the team had already come to an end. He thanked the organization and fans while acknowledging the experience meant more than just basketball.

“I want to say thank you to the Nanjing club and to the CBA for allowing me to have that incredible experience. Also, to my teammates who were mad cool, and who really wanted me to get a bucket!” Cole wrote.

He added, “I got to play 8 minutes in one of the top leagues in the world, got a few good looks but wasn’t able to hit one. A couple more games and maybe those shots would have started to fall! Either way I’m fulfilled and grateful! S###, I feel like I dropped 20!!! And my knees felt like I played 40 minutes!”

Cole, 41, had initially planned to appear in three but cited delays tied to his work visa as a factor that limited his participation. He arrived in China on April 2 but missed the team’s first three games before finally suiting up.

Still, the Hip-Hop star framed the trip as a cultural win. He described his first visit to China as eye-opening, praising the country’s infrastructure, environment and the reception he received from fans.

“On top of all that the biggest win is that me and my family got to experience China for the first time,” he said. “The people were kind, the cities are clean and beautiful. It’s a very peaceful place.”

He also highlighted the country’s transportation system, noting, “The high-speed train was crazy. Super convenient. I was able to go from Nanjing to Shanghai in like a hour on the train. Distance-wise, that would be like going from DC to New York in an hour.”

“I also didn’t realize there were so many people in China that rocked with my music! Thank you to everybody who showed up and brought an album to sign. I was blown away,”he said.

Cole made it clear it was time for him to get back to music.

He has a world tour on the horizon in support of his album The Fall-Off . He also said he could return to the court in a professional capacity.

“I told the team that if I could stay in shape, I would be down to play for a longer amount of games next year after I’m done with tour. I’m wildin???? we’ll see. DREAMER!” he wrote.