His arrival in Monaco last summer caused a stir.

What was Mike James doing in the Principality, ex-CSKA Moscow star with an annual salary of 2 million euros, transferred until the end of the 2021 season to the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA after a conflict with coach Dimitri Itoudis?

Brooklyn Nets fullback Mike James infiltrates between Boston Celtics winger Semi Ojeleye and French fullback Evan Fournier during their NBA game on April 23, 2021 in Brooklyn Sarah Stier GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/ Archives

"I came here to play the Euroleague first, he explained to AFP last October. And above all to find a little freshness, a new way of exchanging. It's a new start for me. I do A clean slate from the past. I have a lot of personal ambitions," explained the 31-year-old playmaker.

Everything was said!

Seven months later, his even memorable class actions were adopted by Monegasques.

And thanks to the fine management of Sasa Obradovic, his trainer since December, the native of Portland is flourishing in the Principality.

Monaco's Serbian coach Sasa Obradovic, during match 1 of the Euroleague quarter-final against Olympiakos, on April 20, 2022 in Athens Angelos Tzortzinis AFP / Archives

The Roca Team takes advantage of this.

James is the star of this team.

The one who, surrounded by the excellent Dwayne Bacon, Donta Hall, Will Thomas or Donatas Motiejunas, pulls his people up.

As was the case, before the perilous match 4 on Friday in the Gaston-Médecin room, where James, in front of his friend Kevin Durant, and Monaco had no right to miss each other, under penalty of elimination.

"Before the match, Dwayne (Bacon) and I spoke to the group, he said after the victory (78-77). We said that if we had to lose, it would be by playing, giving everything. After having spoken like that, we had to show our best face and fight for what we thought we deserved."

-"Not an emotional person"-

Monaco has therefore snatched a match 5. And puts pressure on its opponent, so much more experienced with its three titles in C1 (1997, 2012, 2013).

"From the start, I knew it was going to be a great series, but it's even more beautiful than I thought," savors James.

Monaco's American back Mike James steals the ball from the hands of the French pivot of Olympiakos Moustapha Fall, during match 1 of the Euroleague quarter-final, on April 20, 2022 in Athens Angelos Tzortzinis AFP / Archives

This pressure is his element.

At 31, his physical abilities and his experience (204 Euroleague matches, 7th best scorer and 11th passer in history, with 3294 points and 907 assists) allow him to be at the top of his game.

Obradovic understood this.

He makes his leader play more and more.

Moreover, this season, James is, on average, 3rd best scorer in the Euroleague (16.2 points / game) behind Micic (Efes Istanbul) and Mirotic (Barcelona), and 3rd best passer (5.8 / game ), in a ranking dominated by Calathes (6.1, Barça).

"I have been the most important player for a European team for the last five seasons, he told AFP. It's more comfortable for me than being in the NBA. It's more in my nature. Even if sometimes, the emotion exists, I am not an emotional person."

Yet something haunts him: in eight seasons, he has only reached the Euroleague semi-finals once (with Vitoria in 2016).

Belgrade and its Final 4 are in its sights.

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For this, Monaco will have to achieve a feat in a stadium of Peace and Friendship in fusion.

This passes, at least, by a great match from James, who will have to calm the 15,000 Greek supporters.

And he likes to play this role, as he recently explained for the Crossover podcast, published by the Euroleague.

"I'm like the villain in the movies, he smiled. We like him. But he's always the villain."

© 2022 AFP