Photo credit: Sébastien Grasset
EuroLeague – Almost nine years after his first European match with Vitoria, Mike James completed a major accomplishment this Thursday evening. The leader of AS Monaco became the fourth player in history to reach 4,000 EuroLeague career points.
He only needed seven points to make more history. And it took him less than a quarter to get there, accumulating 9 units in the first seven minutes (24 in the end)… Against Maccabi Tel-Aviv (107-79), Mike James (1.85 m, 33 years old) has joined a very closed circle: that of players with 4,000 points in their EuroLeague career. “Very closed”, since the Monegasque is only the fourth member, with Vassilis Spanoulis (4,455 points), Nando De Colo (4,278) and Juan Carlos Navarro (4,152).
Huge striker, top scorer in the competition in 2019 with Milan, Mike James is however almost an exception. In the Top 10, he is the only American, lost among all the Europeans. In the Top 20, there are only two others: Kyle Hines (3,232 points), who owes his 12th place mainly to his incredible longevity (most capped player in history), and Shane Larkin (2,782) , 19th.
Arriving in Europe through the back door, he first had to go through anonymity (a first contract cut short in Zagreb, a move to the Italian second division) before seeing the light. But since December 2014, when he signed with Vitoria, Mike James has never left the big stage, piling up offensive cards and controversies. Already assured of belonging to the EuroLeague Pantheon, of which he is also the fourth best scorer on average (16.2 points in 247 games), the native of Portland now has only one objective. Be the first to 5,000 points? No, of course not, although… After two unhappy Final Fours (in 2016 and 2023), Mike James wants to be European champion. A trophy which could then allow him to enter the debate relating to the best American in the history of the EuroLeague.
Here’s the play that got him the record ???????????? pic.twitter.com/cOZgzoHK4K
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) October 26, 2023
The distribution of its 4,017 points : 467 with Vitoria (2014/16) 522 with Panathinaikos Athens (2016/18) 595 with Milan (2018/19) 1,112 with CSKA Moscow (2019/21) 1,321 with AS Monaco (since 2021)
by @Alexandre Lacoste
October 26, 2023 at 9:13
He only needed seven points to make more history. And it took him less than a quarter to get there, accumulating 9 units in the first seven minutes (24 in the end)… Against Maccabi Tel-Aviv (107-79),
You access premium content, reading without advertising is reserved for our subscribers. If you are not (yet) a subscriber, simply watch a video to access the rest of the article.
Subscribing to BeBasket means:
Permanent removal of advertising (banners & popups)
Creating an account on BeBasket
Subscribing means browsing without any advertising. It is also the way to contribute to the financing of an independent media and support quality coverage of French basketball on a daily basis. It’s possible from €5, by clicking here (www.bebasket.fr/subscriptions).
Who wrote this paper?
Alexandre Lacoste Policy relating to BeBasket comments – Basketball news in France and Europe
Share your comments and opinions in a good mood and above all respect others! All spam will be banned!
BASKETBALL
Say byebye to advertising and encourage the work done on the daily coverage of French basketball!
2023-10-26 19:13:48
#Mike #James #fourth #player #history #points #EuroLeague
