Thunderbolt in Monaco: Mike James suspended before semifinal against ASVEL

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

Mike James is temporarily and as a precautionary measure, suspended due to a violation of the club’s internal regulations, requiring further investigation and gathering explanations from the concerned party.

Consequently, Mike James is currently removed from all… pic.twitter.com/T1hO6iOieW

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

Mike James sidelined for disciplinary reasons

On the eve of starting their semifinal against ASVEL, AS Monaco Basket announced in a statement the temporary suspension of Mike James, explaining that it followed a violation of the club’s internal regulations. « Mike James is temporarily and as a precautionary measure, suspended due to a violation of the club’s internal regulations, requiring further investigation and gathering explanations from the concerned party, » states the release.

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

The club provides no further details, but the timing is surprising. This Sunday, for the decisive game against Le Mans won by the Roca Team, the American was not 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 so far this season.

The series against ASVEL begins this Tuesday, and the absence of Monaco’s playmaker could significantly shuffle the cards. While mentioning « an off-court misconduct » by Mike James, Nice Matin suggests that the 2024 EuroLeague MVP might not return before the end of playoffs. This would mean his fourth Monaco season could end with his underperformance in the EuroLeague final (17 points on 6/19 shooting against Fenerbahçe). He still has two years left on his contract with the Rock.

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Mike James suspended: A precedent in 2023

This is not 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.

The American point guard, officially injured at the time, missed two weeks of competition and several games. Then-coach Sasa Obradovic appreciated the improved 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 confidence, the Portland (Oregon) native signed a three-year extension with AS Monaco.