Mike James immediately made an impact with his new team
Mike James immediately made his mark in his debut with Anadolu Efes. Just a few hours after his physical, the EuroLeague’s all-time leading scorer took the court against Trabzonspor, finishing his first game with 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Beyond the stats, the newcomer showed good chemistry with Pablo Laso’s system, immediately adding impact and quality.
His move to Istanbul was by no means a foregone conclusion, given the tumultuous summer the American player had experienced. After wrapping up his stint with Monaco—five seasons as the undisputed star, culminating in national titles in 2023 and 2024 and the EuroLeague MVP award in 2024—James seemed destined for Barcelona, with a two-year deal already finalized. However, Xavi Pascual’s decision to leave the Blaugrana bench early changed everything: without the coach who had pushed for his arrival, the Catalan club informed the player that he no longer fit into the new plan, triggering an angry reaction from the American and sparking a dispute destined to have lasting repercussions.
Back on the market as a free agent, James had attracted interest from several top-tier clubs, including Olimpia Milano—where he had previously played—as well as Besiktas, Panathinaikos, and a team from Dubai. In the end, Anadolu Efes prevailed, convincing the Portland native with a one-year contract that includes an option for a second year, banking on his experience to reignite the ambitions of a club that failed to reach the EuroLeague playoffs last season.
The team, led by the seasoned Spanish coach, thus wrapped up its preseason tournament in Istanbul at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center in the best possible way. Following a decisive 101-72 victory on Saturday, September 5, against Dragan Sakota’s AEK Athens, the Turkish team also convincingly defeated Trabzonspor on Monday, September 7, gaining positive insights ahead of their upcoming matches.
Encouraging signs also came from Dario Saric. The Croatian, back in Europe after a long stint in the NBA, recorded 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. In this performance, he showcased his physicality, court vision, and playmaking ability, reaffirming his status as a key asset in Efes’s frontcourt.
What makes James’s debut even more significant is the historical context surrounding it: the point guard, born in 1990, is the all-time leading scorer in EuroLeague history—a record built over the course of a European career that has seen him play for clubs such as KK Zagreb, Baskonia, Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow, and Monaco, in addition to his previously mentioned stints in Italy. In his final season with Monaco, he averaged 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, with an average efficiency rating of 19.1, accounting for over a third of the Principality club’s total offensive output. Efes hopes to see these numbers replicated—or even improved upon—in the upcoming season.
