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oct 02 2026Anadolu Efes has identified the injury that sidelined Mike James in Belgrade. The Turkish club confirmed that the point guard suffered an Achilles tendon injury during the loss to Red Star (77-72) in the third round of the EuroLeague.
"Detailed examinations will be performed on Mike James, who has suffered an Achilles tendon injury, and a treatment plan will be implemented," Efes stated.
What the club didn't say
The statement ends there, and the omission is significant: Efes has not specified the severity of the injury or confirmed whether the tendon is ruptured. Until test results arrive, that is the boundary between two very different scenarios. Tendon damage without a rupture can resolve in weeks; a complete rupture typically requires surgery and recovery periods of between nine and twelve months, which in practice would mean the entire season.
At 36 years old, that difference is not insignificant.
How it happened
The play involved no contact. With 2:40 remaining in the third quarter and the score at 53-51, James went for a loose ball, collapsed, immediately grabbed the lower part of his right leg, and was eventually carried off on a stretcher. The Belgrade Arena first fell silent and then sent him off with an ovation.
He had played 22:30 with 11 points and three assists.
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The all-time leading scorer in the competition
The significance of this news extends beyond Efes. James is the all-time leading scorer in EuroLeague history, was the competition's MVP in 2024, and arrived in Istanbul this summer on a 1+1 contract after averaging 16.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.9 steals last season with Monaco.
The Turkish club had signed him precisely as their primary playmaker, the player to turn to in tight final moments. That role now remains vacant for an as-yet undetermined period.
Efes forced to regroup
Efes had started well: a home victory over Real Madrid (94-84) before falling in Belgrade. The loss to Red Star was also the game in which they lost their key player, and it happened at the moment when they were best controlling the pace of the match.
With Isaia Cordinier still recovering from his May surgery and Georgios Papagiannis dealing with a torn ACL since October 2025, the Turkish club's injury list is growing more complicated just in the first month of competition.
