The sports world witnessed two sales of professional franchises on last week as NFL owners approved the sale of the Washington Commanders and the NBA Board of Governors approved the Charlotte Hornets to be sold. Magic Johnson was one of the minority owners that was part of the group who purchased the Commanders, and now rapper J.Cole is trying his hand at ownership as a minority owner.
Cole World
Jermaine Cole, better known as J.Cole, is native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and a huge hoops fan.
The 38-year-old spent some time playing in the Canadian Elite Basketball League for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in 2022 and a quick stint in 2021 playing for the Rwanda-based Patriots Basketball Club in Africa.
Cole attended St. John’s University and tried out for their basketball team. He made it to the final cut but never suited up.
In addition to his love of the game, the rapper was also chosen to be on the cover of NBA 2k23 Dreamer’s edition.
Now, he will join Dan Sundheim, Ian Loring, country music singer-songwriter Eric Church, Chris Shumway and several local Charlotte investors, including Amy Levine Dawson and Damian Mills as apart of the new ownership group. The group is led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.
Michael Jordan agreed to sell the team on June 16 after 13 years of majority ownership. The Chicago Bulls legend agreed to sell the team for reportedly around $3 billion and leaves the NBA without a Black majority owner.
Committed to Change
The Hornets never won a playoff series under Jordan’s ownership and only had an overall record of 423-600, which ranked 26th in the NBA over that timeframe. The team also hadn’t made a playoff appearance in seven years, but they drafted Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft and locked down LaMelo Ball with a five-year, $260 million contract extension.
It is unsure what Cole’s role will be with the team but his love for basketball and cultural influence should be used to help get more fans in the seats. According to ESPN, they averaged 17,123 people per home game, which was ranked 23rd among NBA teams.
Hopefully Cole’s presence will boost attendance and help get the Hornets franchise on the right track.
