Carmelo Anthony has been thinking about legacy, and that includes J. Cole’s. On a recent episode of his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, the NBA star-turned-media personality made a bold claim: the Dreamville rapper deserves top-10 all-time status. But what got fans buzzing just as much was Melo’s take on what Cole might do next, especially if The Fall Off really marks his retirement from rap, per HipHopDx.

“I think we’ll see him back in sports,” Anthony predicted. “Documenting sports, content-wise, telling stories through his eyes.”

It’s not a far-fetched idea. Cole’s love for the game is well documented. He’s played pro ball overseas and shown his directorial eye in his Puma campaigns. Melo believes that Cole’s strength lies in his intentionality — from debut to exit, his career feels like it has structure, something rare in Hip Hop. “We’ve never seen anybody bookend their career and be so serious and intentional about it,” Melo added, noting that Cole’s clarity about retirement only adds to his case for greatness.

Retirement or reset?

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J. Cole has hinted at hanging it up for years now, but whether The Fall Off is truly the end remains to be seen. Fans can’t help but draw comparisons to Jay-Z, the man who signed him. The Black Album was supposed to be Hov’s final bow, but the music kept coming. Cole, who values peace over public pressure (see his graceful exit from last year’s rap feud with Kendrick Lamar), might follow suit and step away — or not.

Still, Anthony’s prediction holds weight. With sports culture and storytelling closer than ever, Cole might be uniquely positioned to bridge both worlds. Whether that means documentaries, shows, or creative campaigns, it could be the next chapter for a man who's always had more than one lane.

For now, The Fall Off still doesn’t have a release date. And fans are starting to wonder: is J. Cole going full Detox on us?