Will Mike James be present on Sunday in Chalon-sur-Saône? ” I hope so “smiles Clarence Nadolny. But if ever the Monegasque star is absent, he who was one of the leaders of the strike threat movement which hangs over the meeting in Burgundy, then the spectators at the Colisée will be able to fall back on “mini-Mike” for their possible requests for selfies.
It was the running gag of the summer of 2022 in Monaco, when Clarence Nadolny, just out of college, was invited to participate in the preparation of the Roca Team. “As soon as I arrived, the guys said: “But he looks a bit like Mike, doesn’t he?!” » The beard is much fuller on the Monegasque, but for the rest, the resemblance is quite astonishing. “Especially with freckles”laughs the Isarian.
“My dad told me to take inspiration from Mike James”
In Monaco, the nickname was quickly found: mini-Mike. And the jokes, incessant. “As soon as we went out, to annoy me, they said that if Mike had to sign autographs, they would send me in his place! »
Even at the basketball level, certain similarities are obvious. But this is not the result of chance. When he was younger, Clarence Nadolny looked to Mike James as an example. “My father said to me: “You see that player? If you want to go high, you have to take inspiration from him.” So, I was just watching his highlights on my computer! From there, I modeled my game a little after his: a lot of one-on-ones, isolation, strong offensive aggressiveness for a leader. »
The Portland native was then an NBA player in Phoenix. The Frenchman was in U17 Region in Levallois and was preparing to go chase his American dream in a high school on Long Island. And while the first became a EuroLeague superstar, their paths crossed during this summer of 2022 in Monaco. A sort of “full circle moment” for Nadolny, like a little wink from destiny.
“My notebook and my pen in my head”
“When I was defending him in training, I had my notebook and my pen in my head”he slips. “I was taking notes. » Clarence Nadolny although it was “families” James style, he was still able to realize that the specimen was still different in real life. “I learned a lot. First-hand, I saw how he uses screens, separations, his speed. The ease he has everything in what he does, too. »
Instructive, as the former Texas Tech student was plunged into a period of doubt upon leaving university, not receiving the phone call he had hoped for. “I was looking to go to Pro B but no team was interested. » After refusing a few proposals in Nationale 1, Clarence Nadolny was contacted by Sasa Obradovic who was looking for a replacement for Élie Okobo, retained by EuroBasket during preparation, and possibly to densify his JFL backbone.
“A contract was within reach, he told me he needed French players. But above all he told me that I had to see this as an opportunity to learn, to have high-level experience. »
All with a team which will eventually land a ticket for the Final Four at the end of the season and where the Chalonnais has kept some contacts. “I was already friends with Matthew Strazel and Yoan Makoundou. But I was also able to build very good links with Alpha Diallo, John Brown III, Jordan Loyd, who really impressed me. Donatas Motiejunas was also a great guy. » What about Mike James? “We often talked at the table. There were lots of little debates between us, about basketball, cinema, music, lots of things! »
“Very hard to start from scratch in NM1”
Sportingly, the Chalonnais describes this preseason as “click” with hindsight. “Training against Mike was a good way to gauge yourself. In terms of confidence and determination, it was a stepping stone for me. I showed good things, I realized that I had the level. » Except that the hoped-for contract in Monaco never arrived. Not a scandal, even for Nadolny, who admits that he was not “not ready to play ASM with real minutes at the time”. But still no phone calls in Pro B either…
So the native of Montreuil (but raised in Oise) had to resolve, at the end of October 2022, to accept a two-month freelance stint in… Andrézieux-Bouthéon (NM1), before joining Rouen to finish his rookie year there, still in Nationale 1. The fact remains that the big gap between the future third in the EuroLeague and the third French division was dizzying…
“It was very hard for me to start from nothing”he recalls. “This season in NM1 was very difficult, the most difficult of my career, both mentally and sportingly. The NM1 is not the most aesthetic championship there is but it strengthened me, it forced me to step-up in my role. »
This also constituted the beginning of his rise to the Basketball Champions League: freelance champion of France NM1 with Rouen, qualified “a crook” through his ex-teammates, he accompanied the RMB to the upper level, where he impressed for two seasons (11.8 points and 3.5 assists in 2024/25), before joining Élan Chalon.
“Show them who baby Mike is!” »
As soon as he arrived in Burgundy, the subject of Mike James came up. “It was the first thing we said to him”we hear internally, within the club. “The guys directly criticized me for my resemblance to him”he says. And this has only gained momentum in the run-up to the trip to Monaco on Day 2 on October 5. “All week it was, ‘Show them who baby Mike is!’ » It stayed. »
Problem: there was “baby-Mike”, yes, with 16 points in 19 minutes, but above all the real Mike, who scored 31. “There are a lot of shots where I am with him but he still takes”soupire Nadolny. “There wasn’t much more that could be done. I see at least 3-4 baskets where he shoots above me. No matter how hard I directed it, it was impossible to stop it. »
His best match with Chalon in Monaco
However, it was Clarence Nadolny who had the last word with his benchmark performance in Betclic ÉLITE (offensive record), real aggressiveness (17 free throws taken in 19 minutes) and a fundamental impact in the surprise victory of Elan. “Alpha Diallo came to see me before the match to tell me to take it slowly”he smiles. “I had a big game that helped us win. I knew how to seize my opportunity, knowing that Jeremiah Hill was not playing. »
Enough to earn him, in the end, the compliments of his model. “Mike told me: ‘Good game, keep it up!’ » There is respect between us. » Obviously not a regular at Andrézieux or Rouen matches, the top scorer in EuroLeague history was able to appreciate the metamorphosis of his former sparring partner in the space of three years, who had become much more mature.
“In my readings of the game, I see a lot of pressure”rejoices the Burgundian combo-guard. “I have a less significant role than in Pro B but I can better discern the situations where I have to play one-on-one or create for others. I feel like I’m moving up the ranks year after year and I always hear that I can go to the next level, it’s encouraging. »
Bumps or changes of rhythm labeled MJ
Engaged in his first season in Betclic ELITE and the European Cup (7.1 points at 48%, 2.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 33 games), Clarence Nadolny does not intend to stop there and does not hide his desires for the EuroLeague in the long term. Where, precisely, his Monegasque performance was also valuable for his personal confidence. “It was a match where I proved to myself that I had the level. »
For this, he always draws inspiration from Mike James, and tries to add certain elements of his game to his personal arsenal. “There are things that are unique to him but there are also flashes in what I do that come from him. I like little bumps (going for contact with the defender, editor’s note) or changes of pace, these are things that I saw him do and that I reproduced. Last year, I had more freedom in Rouen and this ability to play more one-on-one or to do 3-point pull-ups. But I continue to watch his one-on-ones. And when the opportunity is given to me, there will be no problem: I will be able to show it. » Starting Sunday, for round 2 of mini-Mike versus Mike?
