Mike James spoke on the Euro Insiders podcast about various topics related to himself, his current club Monaco, and also touched on his time at Panathinaikos and his relationship with the team’s coach at the time, Xavi Pascual.
They worked together for two seasons, from 2016 to 2018. During that period, James went to the NBA for the first time, only to return a few months later to the Athens club:
“It was great working with him. I mean, I love Xavi Pascual. We still keep in touch from time to time. I think he taught me a lot about basketball, especially in that sense, because back then I wasn’t yet the player I wanted to be; I wasn’t at that level. I learned how to complement the main player, but also how to score and help the whole team.
He definitely helped me improve my basketball IQ because we had so many plays, fast breaks, and everything else. I had to play two or three different positions each time, depending on who was on the court. I had to remember all of that.“
Claim Now From a tactical perspective, James believes there is no better coach who has trained him during his career:
“Does he only talk about basketball? He talks about other things too, but yes, he’s a basketball man, without a doubt. I think that’s why we connected, because he is basketball. It’s hard to say he’s the best coach I’ve ever had. I think he’s the best when it comes to plays and tactics.
But I think all the coaches I’ve had have something special that makes them who they are. And Xavi, when it comes to tactics, plays, fast breaks, and all of that, he keeps everything under control.“
Mike James is once again one of the key players for Monaco this season. Statistics show that the talented point guard is currently averaging 17.2 points and 6.6 assists in nearly 30 minutes per game in the EuroLeague. However, the situation at Monaco is far from good due to the club’s growing financial crisis, and it remains a big question how this season will conclude.
Still, there is no doubt that the EuroLeague’s all-time leading scorer still harbors hopes of finally winning the long-awaited European champion title this season, as this marks his 12th season without achieving it. Monaco currently sits in 10th place on the EuroLeague standings with a record of 15 wins and 12 losses and is on the edge of the Play-In zone.
On the other hand, Xavi Pascual is achieving fantastic results on Barcelona’s bench this season. He returned to the famous Catalan club in November 2025 and signed a contract until 2028. With his arrival in Barcelona, the club’s chances of achieving a notable result compared to the past few seasons have significantly increased, especially considering that Pascual is the coach who led the Catalan club to its last EuroLeague title in 2010.
We will see how the absence of key player Kevin Panther will affect Barcelona’s upcoming games, as he will be out for two to four weeks due to a thigh muscle injury. So far this season, Pascual has been delivering excellent results both in the EuroLeague and in the Liga Endesa. In Europe’s top competition, Barcelona is currently tied for 3rd place with a record of 17 wins and 10 losses, while in the domestic league they also occupy third place with a record of 13 wins and 6 losses.
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