Mike James is considered one of the best European players, and we almost missed seeing him in the national team.
Naturalization is a frequent topic in world basketball. Many basketball experts believe that such things are unnecessary, while others say that they are necessary. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
One of the national teams that does not have such a case for now is Latvia. They have been trying for years to rely only on local players, but this summer there was almost a change. According to the reliable Donatas Urbonas, from “BasketNews“, Mike James was in talks with the local association about performing for the national team:
“There was a high chance of James playing for Latvia. I don’t remember whether it was last or this year. Latvia was thinking of getting him on board for the World Cup. From what I’ve heard, it might be possible that someone from Latvia federation or some of the veteran players were against it. So, they kind of brush it off. But for sure, there was a real case, and there were some talks between Latvia and Mike.“
James finished the 2022-23 EuroLeague season, averaging 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 16.4 PIR per game in 38 appearances for Monaco.