J. Cole May Score Ownership Role in the Charlotte Hornets Franchise

J. Cole continues to carve his spade in the NBA. According to ESPN, NBA veteran Michael Jordan is solidifying the sale of the Charlotte Hornets, which Cole will reportedly have an ownership in, as part of a group led by businessmen Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.

Schnall, who was formerly a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks, will sell his stake of the team once the deal is completed. First, the Charlotte Hornets sale will have to be reviewed by the NBA Board of Governors but Jordan will remain as the team’s minority owner. Cole, of course, hails from The Queen City.

The 38-year-old rapper has also had an extensive past with basketball, including his spotlight on the NBA 2K23 cover (also being a playable character in the game), joining the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Scarborough Shooting Stars for one season, and playing three preliminary games for the Basketball Africa League's Rwanda Patriots in 2021.

Last month, Miami Heat assistant coach Caron Butler told The Charlotte Observer that Cole also facilitated Caleb Martin’s venture to the team from the Hornets.

“He [Cole] had reached out to me and told me he had a very, very talented guy that was just wrecking shop up here in North Carolina," Butler said. "He [Martin] had just got released from the Hornets. Obviously, we were still trying to improve on our talent."

Butler continued, "[J. Cole] reached out to me and I just invited [Martin] to an open scrimmage in the summer, and from that point on he really earned his way on. But J. Cole having the foresight in knowing Caleb can come and help a contending team was just amazing,” Butler added.