J. Cole Hoops in Nike Kobe Basketball Shoes

Rapper J. Cole signaled the end of his Puma sneaker deal by playing basketball with NBA players in a pair of Nike Kobe 8 shoes.

Rappers want to be athletes, and athletes want to be rappers. It's a tale as old as time (or at least the NBA). But much like the Golden State Warriors 73-win season, it's an achievement almost impossible to reach. 

The only exception is J. Cole. The 37-year-old rapper has won Grammys and played professional basketball in international leagues. In the Instagram video below, J. Cole is seen hooping with NBA players Jaylen Brown, Darius Garland, and Jordan Clarkson.

It is not unusual to see J. Cole playing pick-up games with NBA players during the summer. But what stood out to sneakerheads was what the Dreamville rapper had on his feet.

J. Cole played in a pair of Nike Kobe 8 basketball shoes in the 'What the Kobe' colorway. No doubt a pair of fire kicks. But surprising given J. Cole's contract with Puma.

Over the past few months, there has been speculation that J. Cole's fruitful partnership with Puma was coming to a close. There have even been rumors that the rapper might sign a new contract with Jordan Brand. This is a big deal for performance footwear.

J. Cole's History with Puma

J. Cole promoting the Puma RS Dreamer 2 / Puma

After several months of speculation, Puma announced a multi-year partnership with J. Cole in February 2020. Breaking norms, the rapper received a signature basketball shoe. 

The Puma RS Dreamer was released in many colorways throughout 2020 with a retail price of $125. Another unusual aspect of the low-cut basketball shoe was its ability to blend performance technology with lifestyle aesthetics. 

Building on the success of J. Cole's first shoe, the Puma RS Dreamer 2 was released on January 28, 2021 (the rapper's birthday) for $135. But this time, the high-top model did not get as many general releases or enjoy the fanfare of its predecessor. 

Puma does not have any more shoes from the RS Dreamer line scheduled to release in the future. In fact, J. Cole recently appeared on the cover of NBA 2K23 (another first for a rapper) in a pair of generic shoes without any visible branding.

If this is the end of Puma and J. Cole's partnership, it's a sad development for a lot of fans. Over 2.5 years, the partnership redefined expectations for rappers and sneaker companies. But, like most dreams, it felt too good to be true.

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