J. Cole and Jack Harlow can officially live out their video game hoop dreams as they’ve both been added as playable characters in NBA 2K23.
2K revealed on Wednesday (November 9) that the rappers will be available to be used in MyTEAM mode’s Crossover series this week, but for a “limited time only.” Both Cole and Harlow were given solid 89 overall ratings in the game.
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The popular basketball video game series also teased that fans can earn other celebrity playing cards as characters inside the game mode in the future.
In September, J. Cole was unveiled as the cover star for the DREAMER Edition of NBA 2K23, becoming the first rapper to grace the cover of the video game franchise.
The DREAMER Edition for PS5 and Xbox X|S hits shelves exclusively at GameStop on Friday (November 11), just over two months after 2K23‘s original release.
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“NBA 2K has long been a place to discover new musical talent through their game and continues to be a gold standard for showcasing all things basketball culture,” Cole said in a statement. “It’s been an amazing journey to not only appear on a cover of this year’s game, but to be part of the MyCAREER storyline, soundtrack and bring the DREAMER brand into NBA 2K.”
In addition to the cover, Cole plays a major role in this year’s MyCAREER game mode alongside fellow Dreamville artists Bas and Elite. He even serves up a never-before-heard verse in the studio in one scene in the storyline.
Jack Harlow has plenty of basketball connections of his own. The Louisville, Kentucky native participated in the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend and is set to star in a reboot of the classic ’90s hoop flick White Men Can’t Jump, for which he received some coaching tips from Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.
The “Tyler Herro” rapper also had a viral moment during the 2022 NBA Playoffs in May when a pair of referees were caught asking each other who Jack Harlow was on a hot mic in a commercial timeout.
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“Who is Jack Harlow?” famous ref Scott Foster asked during Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, to which Ed Malloy responded: “I have no idea.”
Harlow took the embarrassing video in stride by later joking on Twitter: “Clearly these mfs have never seen Narnia.”
