AS Monaco star Mike James is the latest player to step into the spotlight as part of the "Remember The Why" series, a Euroleague Basketball and Adidas collaboration in which Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars discuss their personal journeys in in-depth interviews.
James is one of the great scorers in EuroLeague history. A two-time All-EuroLeague selection and the 2019 Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner, he has played for five EuroLeague clubs and qualified for the playoffs with four of them. He also played for three teams in the NBA. James is one of four players ranked among the all-time top 10 in both points scored and assists
His success on the Old Continent was never part of the plan for James, who was unsure where life would take him after starring with Lamar University in college, where he set the school record with a 52-point game. He settled on an offer to play for Zagreb in Croatia and embraced the opportunity.
"I didn’t really have any knowledge of Europe or overseas basketball, what the like concept was. So I didn’t really know a lot about it," James said. "I was ready for anything. I was ready to go hoop. I like playing basketball and I got an opportunity to keep playing. So I was just thankful."
Slowly but surely, James climbed the ladder. After shining against EuroLeague powerhouses Panathinaikos Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus while playing for Greek club Kolossos Rhodes, he got the call some players wait a lifetime for. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz signed midway through the 2014-15 season James and he proved he was a worthy EuroLeague player immediately.
James made his only Final Four appearance in his second season with Baskonia and has since played for Panathinaikos, Milan, CSKA Moscow and now Monaco. Over that time, James has not only established himself as a EuroLeague star, but in some waves helped pave the way for the next generation of talented American guards to find success at the top level in Europe.
"I like to think I’m like the gap between, for the new point guards [in Europe]. There’s kind of a lot of American point guards now who are kind of playing more like how I played when I first got over and was kind of frowned upon, but now they’re, you know, kind of like the new wave, which is cool just to watch and to watch the development," James said.
Despite his dominance as a scorer and reaching the playoffs nearly every season, there is still a thing or two that gnaw at James and he knows his resume will not be complete until he gets it.
"Just the championship, really," James confessed. "I don’t have an MVP, but I don’t think it like hurts me in any way, really. I think there are a couple years I could have won it and I think that’s a general thing that people know, so it doesn’t bother me as much. But definitely, two championships. I need two."
At age 32, James is still playing his best basketball and next week will lead Monaco into a playoff clash with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. His team has the home-court advantage as James seeks his first Final Four since 2016.
Regardless of the outcome, it's safe to say that James will keep coming back for more, as long as he can keep competing at the highest level. Why?
"I think I just love it. I just enjoy basketball. Like watching it, studying it, playing it, being around it. Watching other people play. I just enjoy every facet of it. So I think that's my why."