AS Monaco Basket puts rumours to rest: Mike James fully reinstated
Mike James is under contract until 2027 © AS Monaco Basket
After weeks of uncertainty and speculation, the Roca Team officially announced on Monday night that its American star was fully reinstated for the 2025-26 season.
A line is finally drawn under the Mike James affair. In a statement published on Monday evening, AS Monaco Basket put an end to the rumours that have been going around since the unexpected suspension of its star point guard in June. “Mike is officially and fully reinstated to the Roca Team roster,” the club announced bluntly.
The affair began during the EuroLeague Final Four, when the MVP 2024 “slightly injured his forearm.” But it was an “off-court incident” that led to his temporary sidelining, depriving the Roca Team of their playmaker in the French league play-offs and the final they lost to Paris Basketball.
“Unintentionally involved”
The exact nature of the incident remains a mystery, but the Monaco club has given its version of events. “After a thorough review, it was confirmed that Mike had been unintentionally involved while trying to protect others,” the statement said, dismissing speculation about an altercation in a Principality establishment.
A “delicate” situation which required “time, care and discretion,” according to AS Monaco Basket. But the club also denounced the collateral damage through the affair: “Unfortunately, during that process, unfounded speculation and rumours were spread. These rumours affected both Mike and the club at a time when both parties remained fully committed to each other and were working together to resolve the matter appropriately.”
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Aleksej Fedoricsev is confident
President Aleksej Fedoricsev is making no secret of his enthusiasm: “We look forward to seeing Mike back in Monaco. Healthy, focused and more determined than ever. The team came close this season, but the mission remains the same. We’re hungry. We’re going to work even harder and stay even more focused on winning. We’ll finish what we’ve started.”
It sounds like a promise. The Roca Team still dreams of clinching the EuroLeague title that has slipped through its fingers to date. With James in its ranks and the recent signing of Kevarrius Hayes, AS Monaco Basket has good reason to have big ambitions for 2025-26.