The NBA looks to provide more entertainment during its All-Star Game than just a collection of the best basketball players in the world. Whether it’s skits before players are introduced prior to tip, a famous national anthem performer, or a gigantic halftime show, music and entertainment are as much a part of the All-Star experience as the game itself.
We’ll learn most of what the league has up its sleeve in the days leading up to the game, but with the NBA bringing the festivities to Charlotte this year, it only makes sense for J. Cole to perform the halftime show. On Tuesday night, the NBA announced that the Fayetteville native will do just that.
2019 GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist and North Carolina native @JColeNC will take the court in his home state to headline the 2019 #NBAAllStar Game halftime show (Sunday 2/17 @NBAonTNT)! pic.twitter.com/jU0P5fpzX5
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) January 30, 2019
Beyond the obvious local ties, it makes a ton of sense for J. Cole to get the halftime show this year. His album KOD, released in April 2018, spent some time as the No. 1 record in America and went platinum, while a pair of songs that include him as a featured artist — “Come Through and Chill” by Miguel and “Pretty Little Fears” by 6lack — are nominated for Grammys.
Last year’s All-Star halftime show was quite the spectacle, as N.E.R.D. teamed up with Migos to put on a show. It’s quite the bar for J. Cole to have to exceed, and we’ll see if he’s joined by anyone else on Feb. 17.
