Bombshell at Monaco: Mike James suspended before semi-final against ASVEL

Mike James (1.85m, 34), undisputed leader of Monaco since 2021, will not participate in the start of the series against ASVEL. The principality club announced Monday evening that they had « temporarily and as a precautionary measure » suspended their American point guard, in an already tense context after a season without titles.

Mike James est temporairement et à titre conservatoire, suspendu en raison d’une infraction au règlement interne du club, necessitant des investigations complémentaires puis le recueil des explications de l’intéressé.

En conséquence, Mike James est pour l’heure éloigné de toutes… pic.twitter.com/T1hO6iOieW

— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) June 2, 2025

Mike James sidelined for « internal regulation violation »

On the eve of their semi-final against ASVEL, AS Monaco Basketball announced in a statement Mike James’s provisional suspension, explaining it was due to a violation of the club’s internal regulations. « Mike James is temporarily and as a precautionary measure suspended due to a violation of club internal regulations, requiring further investigation and gathering of explanations from the person concerned, » states the release.

As a result, the point guard is « removed from all activities connecting him to AS Monaco Basketball. »

The club provides no further details, but the timing is surprising. This Sunday, for the decisive game against Le Mans won by Roca Team, the American wasn’t present in the stands. This detail is particularly noteworthy as he had attended the first game in civilian clothes despite his wrist injury.

A tense season in the Principality

EuroLeague finalist for the first time in its history, beaten in the Leaders Cup final and only third in the regular season in Betclic ELITE, AS Monaco remains empty-handed this season.

The series against ASVEL starts this Tuesday, and the absence of Monaco’s playmaker could significantly shake things up. It remains to be seen whether the former NBA player will be reinstated before the playoffs end, or if his season – or even his Monaco journey – is already over.

Mike James suspended: a precedent in 2023

This isn’t the first time Mike James has been suspended by AS Monaco. In March 2023, he was sidelined for a late-night drinking session with his friend Dwayne Bacon, then a Panathinaikos player. This violation of internal regulations also led to the Greek wing fainting during training.

The American point guard, officially injured at the time, had missed several games. Then-coach Sasa Obradovic had appreciated the renewed team play without him. But Mike James was eventually reinstated after clearing the air during a stay at owner Aleksej Fedorycsev’s Tuscan residence.

A year later, in 2024, proving renewed trust, the Portland (Oregon) native signed a three-year extension with AS Monaco.