By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
AS Monaco superstar Mike James will remain suspended for the entirety of the French League Finals between his team and Paris Basketball that begin Sunday (15/6), coach Vassilis Spanoulis confirmed.
“No, he’s not allowed to play,” Spanoulis said when asked about James’ availability ahead of the Finals during a press conference. “But I have very good communication with Mike.”
On June 2, Monaco announced that James was “temporarily and precautionarily suspended” for breaching the club’s regulations. It was reported that the American veteran guard was involved in a fight in a restaurant.
“Mike is a big part of this organization, not only of this [season’s] team,” Spanoulis previously mentioned. “But this team has this spirit that everybody can step up. Everybody can show up. At the end of the day, we have a lot of players that can provide solutions. Mike is a unique players. He’s our leader all this season. But we have a lot of guys who can step up and help this team. We showed this also against Le Mans and Villeurbanne. Different players showed up and stepped up.”
James averaged 15.9 points, 5.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds in the 2024-25 EuroLeague as Monaco played in the championship game for the first time in club history, losing to Fenerbahce Beko. He had 14.0 points, 4.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds in the French League before his suspension.
“Let’s be honest, for sure you can’t replace Mike,” Spanoulis added. “On the other hand, as a team we can do a great job to replace him. For everybody to step up and make the extra effort to help the team win. This is what big teams are doing. We have to move on to play the Finals. We have to find a way. So far, the guys are responding correctly. They are trying their best. They are working hard. Everybody is motivated and hungry.”
James’ contract with Monaco is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. Yet his future with the Monegasque side has become rather uncertain after these latest developments and his suspension.
Monaco will aim to win the French League championship for the third straight year in a rematch of last season’s Finals vs. Paris. Tiago Splitter’s team has the homecourt advantage in this series after capturing first seed in the regular season.
Spanoulis was also asked if these Finals could be his last with Monaco.
“I have contract for one more year. I’m here as coach of Monaco. In life you never know but I’m here as Monaco coach and I have contract for one more year,” Spanoulis answered.