“This series is more beautiful than I imagined” : Mike James, the star of Monaco will challenge Olympiakos and its 15,000 boiling fans eye to eye on Wednesday in the ultimate meeting of the Euroleague play-offs, and he loves it.

The star of the team

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?

“I came here to play the Euroleague first, explained to AFP last October. And above all find a little freshness, a new way of exchanging. It’s a new start for me. I make a clean sweep of the past. I have a lot of personal ambitions”explained the 31-year-old’s game menu.

Everything was said! Seven months later, his classy and even memorable actions were adopted by the Monegasques. And thanks to the fine management of Sasa Obradovic, his trainer since December, the native of Portland is flourishing in the Principality.

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 the senses 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 game, Dwayne (Bacon) and I spoke to the grouphe said after the victory (78-77). We said that if we had to lose, it would be by playing, by paying everything. After talking like that, we should show our best face and fight for what we deserve. »

“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 show, but it’s even more beautiful than I thought”savor James.

This pressure is his element. At 31, his physical abilities and his experience (204 Euroleague games, 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 in a European team for the last five seasonshe 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. »

However, something has chosen to haunt 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.

“I’m like the villain in the movies”

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 of 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 movieshe smiled. We like it. But he’s still the bad guy. »