The NBA’s alignment with Rwanda’s repressive leader was headscratching

The league, as ever, projects lofty goals. But joining itself with a president who has been accused of human rights abuses was not a good look

Last month, just two days after releasing his sixth studio album, J. Cole made his professional basketball debut in the NBA's Basketball Africa League (BAL). The Grammy Award winner, regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation, played for the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club, where he scored three points, secured several rebounds and a pair of assists en route to his team's 83-60 win against Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers.

The match-up, which also happened to be the first-ever BAL game, was broadcast on national television in the United States and was met with widespread attention from international media outlets. The tournament's inaugural season consisted of 12 teams from 12 African countries, including Rwanda, Algeria, Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, and Egypt.