Dreamville is reviving a classic basketball tournament. J. Cole’s label has agreed to bring back the Chi-League pro-am basketball to Chicago in August. The pro-am is set to take place on August 8 and run for three consecutive weekends on Chicago State’s campus.
After a four-year hiatus, the pro-am returns with a partnership alongside Wilson. Dreamville artist and Chicago native Omen will be involved. In addition to a men’s bracket, there will be a women’s competition for the first time.
J. Cole pursued his hoop dreams with a three-game stint suiting up for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League in May. Cole finished with a stat line of five points, three assists and five rebounds in three games coming off the bench. As of press time, the Dreamville boss isn’t set to play in the tournament.
As for the pro-am, Dreamville is handling curating live performances throughout the month, which will be named at a later date. Tickets will also go on sale at another time.
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The men’s bracket consists of eight 10-player teams in a single-elimination tournament while the women’s follows the same format but with four teams.
“Chicago has supported Dreamville and its artists from the beginning,” said Dreamville’s EVP Candace Rodney. “It’s a privilege to infuse our brand with the rich legacy of the Chi-League, while also helping to celebrate the unique culture of the city of Chicago.”
“The revamped Dreamville Chi-League will help bring back a competition ingrained in the community and to make this all happen, there’s no better partner than a hometown hero like Wilson.”
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Kids will have the opportunity to participate in free clinics on each Saturday of the tournament while local Black-owned businesses have been tapped to run concessions.