After conquering both the fashion world and the Billboard charts, it would appear that Kanye West is now extending his reign to include high school basketball.
Yahoo Sports reports that the DONDA rapper is opening the Adidas-backed Donda Academy prep school, which will be located right outside of Los Angeles, Calif., in Simi Valley. And for those who think his input will be limited, how does it feel to be dead-ass wrong? Because not only is the Chi-town legend heavily involved, but he’s actively recruiting players for the school.
Ask five-star recruit Jalen Hooks, whose already fielding offers from Purdue, Kansas, Michigan State, and other college programs.
“It’s just one of those things you can’t pass up,” Hooks told Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star. “It was more of a family decision, too. All of us just felt like it was a chance to reach my full potential and grow and get ready for the college level.”
Other big names headed to Donda include Robert Dillingham out of North Carolina, Jahki Howard out of Georgia, and Zion Cruz out of New Jersey—all five-star recruits in their own right. Because of course, they are.
Donda doesn’t even have a head coach yet and they’re already pulling in heat, thanks to West’s unorthodox recruiting methods.
From Yahoo Sports:
Two high-profile recruits told Yahoo Sports that they have been followed by West on Instagram and have direct messages from the rapper asking them to join his prep team.
“It’s crazy that he reached out,” one player told Yahoo Sports. “But he’s building a good team with players that I want to play with and it’s out in LA in a good market so it’s something me and my family have to think about.”
According to its website, Donda’s goal is to “prepare students to become the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators by providing them with a world-class education that includes a rigorous core curriculum, and an emphasis on sustainability, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving.”
Apparently, that also includes building a basketball powerhouse that rivals prep school juggernaut Sierra Canyon High School. And if Kanye’s track record is any indication, his latest venture will be a resounding success.