Rap Superstar J.Cole Signs with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the CEBL.

The Scarborough Shooting Stars have announced the signing of J. Cole

The Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) have announced the signing of Superstar rapper J. Cole for their inaugural season. Cole has stepped outside the box of your traditional rapper. Last season, J.Cole made his professional debut with the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club of the Basketball of Africa League (BAL). In three games with the Patriots, the hip-hop megastar averaged 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists. Aside from what many have called a lack-lustered performance, Cole openly expressed his passion and desire to play professionally. The BAL brought Cole into the league with the idea of leveraging his unique commercial value and media attention.

Several factors played a part in the growth potential of NBA Africa. Following the BAL's inaugural season, NBA Africa added the former U.S. President Barack Obama to their roster as a strategic partner and minority owner. NBA Africa's market value is nearly $1 Billion with investments from Adam Silver, Dikembe Mutombo, Grant Hill and Junior Bridgeman. The 37-year-old NC native emerged as a standout at Terry Sanford High School. Cole then attended St. John University, where he nearly walked on as a sophomore. After not making the final tryout, Cole decided to pursue his music career full time, putting the hoop dreams on hold.

J.Cole returns to the hardwood, suiting up with the Scarbrough Shooting Stars in the Candian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). The Scarborough Shooting Stars will tip-off their inaugural season on May 26th vs the Guelph Nighthawks. Cole can potentially play five games before heading out on tour on June 10th. Cole will miss a big part of the season to fulfil his career obligations. Will Cole bounce back from his BAL stint?

What does this do for the business of the cebl?

Photo Credit (SPORTSNET)

Superstar Rapper playing in the CEBL changes the entire dynamics of the league. From a marketing standpoint, Cole will now become the official face of the league. The overall brand will become synonymous with the apparent professional sports leagues across Canada. The CEBL commissioner Mike Morreale is pleased with the incremental growth of the league.

“Last night the CEBL Leagure launched into a whole new world. A world that makes #ourgame better and most importanly shines a light on Canada Basketball which has always been our #1 priority.” - Mike Morreale

In its fourth season, the CEBL has become responsible for bringing diverse talents from the NBA, FIBA, and Canada Basketball. The CEBL will see viewership and revenue dollars go through the roof, and the affiliation with a hip-hop megastar will help the CEBL reach a wider targeted audience. The direct results of signing J.Cole has sparked the Scarborough Shooting Stars and the league into a whole new galaxy.

Fans across Canada await Cole's debut in the CEBL, and with extreme demands, ticket prices have skyrocketed to over $550. These implications can cause an increase in ticket sales across the entire league. In more recent years, we’ve seen the intersection of Hip-Hop and sports. This new era of sports culture provides organizations like the CEBL with access to capture a wider diverse audience than the average sports league.

Scarborough Shooting Stars to bring new energy to CEBL

Photo Courtesy (CEBL)

The Scarborough Shooting Stars are one of three new expansion franchises added for the 2022 season. Co-Owner Nicholas (Niko) Carino, one of the founding members of OVO, has leveraged the intersection of music and sports, working alongside global rap star Drake. Carino is responsible for the launch of the OVO BOUNCE basketball tournament. Joining Carino in ownership is Sam Ibrahim, who's a partner of the Playground Global Basketball complex. The Shooting Stars are the only independently-owned franchise in the CEBL.

The Shooting Stars franchise has made some key acquisitions hiring front office staff. The front office staff includes Canadian Basketball icon Jamal Magloire as the VP and Senior Advisor. Magloire played 13 seasons in the NBA and is one of three Canadians to be named an NBA all-star. Brady Heslip, a National team member, will serve as the General Manager for the Shooting Stars. Heslip has a diverse background, with experiences from the NCAA, NBA, and overseas. Heslip is also the nephew of Canada Basketball coach Jay Triano.

Leading the charge for the Shooting Stars will be Head Coach Chris Exilus, a former NCAA player at Virginia Tech and DePaul. In his first season as a head coach, Exilus hopes to impart his basketball knowledge and experience to his ball club. The roster includes forward Kyle Alexander, Danilo Djuricic, Kalif Young, Jean-Victor Mukama, and veteran Olu Famutimi. Will J.Cole provide the Shooting Stars will a well-needed spark? or will this unique buzz fade once Cole departs for his tour? The Scarborough Shooting Stars will be the team of the GTA and will open its doors on June 4th vs. The Hamilton Honey Badgers at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

Written by: Hussein Abdullahi

Featuring: CEBL, Scarborough Shooting Stars, J.Cole

Published by: TGQ Inc.

Andrew Wiggins Becomes The Third Canadian to be Named an NBA All-Star

Andrew Wiggins is named to his first NBA All-Star Selection

The Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has earned his first All-Star nod in his career and was named to the starting lineup of the Western Conference. Wiggins will join his teammate Stephen Curry at this year’s NBA All-Star game in Cleveland. Andrew Wiggins becomes the third Canadian to make an NBA All-Star game, joining Steve Nash and Jamaal Magloire. Wiggins has earned the third Frontcount spot for the Western Conference, where he will join LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant, and Steph Curry. The 26-year old recalls his All-Star dream, Full Circle. Wiggins will play in his first NBA All-star game in Cleveland, after nearly eight years since the Cavs drafted him and sent him to Minnesota in exchange for Kevin Love.

“I thought I was dreaming for a second...Full circle. It feels good. No better way to have my first All-Star than where it all started.”

— Andrew Wiggins (Gloden State Warriors)

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Wiggins Selection as All-Star Starter Underscores NBA’s Voting Problem

Wiggins’ All-Star starter selection has raised skepticism. Many have labelled Wiggins as a controversial pick as a starter. You can make an argument for the Suns' Booker and Paul to fill the lineup. Both led their team to a leagues-best record this far. The more complex matter to analyze here is the NBA voting system. The fan voting portion accounts for 50%, leaving the other 50% to media and player votes (25% media, 25% players). Wiggins had more fan votes and fewer media and players votes. Thanks to a big push powered by K Pop-Star BamBam, Wiggins earned an extra 39,000 fan votes with a total of 3,452,586. The convergence of social media currency worked in the favour of Wiggins.

Photo Courtesy of Golden State Warriors (@warriors)

Ultimately, because the NBA fan voting portion is worth 50%, Wiggins had adequate support from his fanbase to secure his starting spot for the Western Conference. Wiggins ranked third most votes amongst Western Conference frontcourt players trailing LeBron behind James and Nikola Jokic. Wiggins also finished fifth in player votes and sixth in media votes. The All-star game has always been about entertaining the fans and in the case of Wiggins, playing an intricate role for the Warriors in the absence of Klay Thompson while maintaining a league’s second-best record with one of the largest fanbases earns you a starting bid. The NBA decided that each conference stats backcourt players and three frontcourt players—which partially is why Wiggins got the spot.

Golden State Warriors Wiggins' Stellar Performance This Season

With career-best efficacy, Wiggins has earned the respect of his teammate, especially from Steph and Klay. His improved shooting ability and defensive prowess helped the Warriors secure the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. The defensive presence of Wiggins has generated a league-best defensive rating of 102.4 for the Warriors. Coach Steve Kerr has praised Wiggins for his positive contributions all season in spite of the absences of Klay Thompson. Coach Kerr considered the All-Star selection “one of his proudest moments as a coach”. Klay Thompson also spoke highly about the first-time All-star. Wiggins has proven the naysayers wrong and is living up to the potential of his NBA career.

“He earned not only the All-Star spot but the position he mans on our team, He’s our number-one perimeter defender night in and night out.”

— Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors

We would not be where we’re at without his play. It’s really cool, he deserves it. I whole heartedly believe that. He’s also one of the best athletes in the NBA, combine all those traits and you got an All-star.”- Klay Thompson

Prior to his stint with the Warriors, Wiggins only experiences one playoff appearance with Minnesota back in 2018. Following the departure of Kevin Durant via free agency, Andre Iguodala and the injuries of Curry and Klay, the Warriors pursued Wiggins during the 2019-2020 season. The Warriors then acquired Wiggins for Minnesota in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans III, Omari Spellman, and a second-round pick. Through the acquisition of Wiggins, the Warriors are back in championship contention, part of that has to do with Wiggins who played an intricate part in their 39-13 record. Wiggins and his teammates are certain that this won’t be his last All-Star selection, as far Canada it’s a huge opportunity for the culture of basketball North of the border. Catch Wiggins in his first career All-Star game on February 20th live from Cleveland.

Featuring: Andrew Wiggins

Written By: Hussein Abdullahi

Published by: TGQ Inc.