By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The French Federation of Basketball announced penalties issued to AS Monaco and AS Monaco for using an unlicensed agent in contract talks.
The 34-year-old guard was on the receiving end of a one-month suspended ban, which means he will not be missing Betclic Elite games. In addition, the team was sanctioned with fine of 200,000 euros, including a suspended portion of 100,000 euros. President Alexey Fedorychev was issued a formal warning.
The ruling of FFBB concerned contract signings in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Earlier in the 2024-25 season, contract irregularities resulted in more sanctions, including a one-win penalty in the ongoing Regular Season of the French top tier.
Overcoming the reduction of one win, the back-to-back LNB champions clinched a berth in the 2025 Playoffs. At 19-5 and with five games remaining in the Regular Season, La Roca Team ranks third behind a 19-6 W-L tally of co-leaders LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Paris.
In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the path to the Final Four meets an approaching best-of-five series opposite FC Barcelona with home-court advantage behind fourth place in the Regular Season.
In his fourth campaign with Monaco, James is averaging 15.8 points, 5.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest over 34 appearances in Europe’s premier club continental competition. At the domestic level, he has 15.6 points and 4.6 assists per contest over 14 games.
A veteran of 58 NBA games between the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and New Orleans Pelicans, the American guard focused the majority of his career in the EuroLeague, leading to the Most Valuable Player of the 2023-24 season nod.