RAPPER J.Cole's signing and subsequent play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) have brought attention to the fledgling cage scene in the continent.
It's a timely boost for the newly formed league, which just tipped off its maiden season on Monday (Manila time).
But other than Cole (who goes by his real name Jermaine Cole by the way), there are also other familiar faces for Filipino basketball fans playing in the BAL.
Former NBA guard Ben Uzoh, who played for the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors from 2010 to 2012, lead the list as he banners his Nigerian side Rivers Hoopers.
There are also players who have faced Gilas Pilipinas in international competitions.
Tunisia's Radhouane Slimane, who the Nationals met in the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China, is also teaming up with the Lebanese pair of Wael Arakji and Ater Majok for US Monastir.
Valdelicio Joaquim and Carlos Morais are also leading the Angolan side Petro de Luanda, with the core among those which faced Gilas in the 2019 tilt.
And there are also two former PBA imports who are strutting their stuff in the BAL.

Former NorthPort big man Prince Ibeh is teaming up with Cole for the Rwandan side Patriots BC.
The 6-foot-10 banger out of Texas averaged 13.7 points on 63-peecent shooting, to go with 15.9 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in 38.4 minutes as he backstopped the Batang Pier in the 2019 Commissioner's Cup.
With Ibeh carrying the load, NorthPort finished second in the eliminations with its 9-2 card, but fell in the quarterfinals at the hands of eventual champion San Miguel.
This time, Ibeh wasn't shy in announcing his arrival in the BAL with a thunderous slam in the season opener as Patriots downed Rivers Hoopers, 83-60.
On the other side, former Alaska reinforcement Chris Daniels is teaming up with Uzoh for Rivers Hoopers.
Daniels could be remembered in the same conference as the Aces' first-choice import, staying with the team for seven games until he was replaced by Nino Johnson.
It was a roller coaster ride for the 6-foot-10 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi product, who posted 20.6 points on 52-percent shooting, to go with 13.7 boards and 2.1 assists in 34.1 minutes as he lasted only seven games here before Alaska wanted to make the change.
Unfortunately, that gamble did not pay off for the Aces, which once again replaced Johnson after just one game for Diamon Simpson, and could only get to the 8-seed before falling to runner-up TNT.
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