Mike James describes Maccabi Tel Aviv tenure as a 'black chapter

Basketball player Mike James has broken his long-standing silence regarding his time with Maccabi Tel Aviv, describing his tenure with the Israeli club as a "black chapter" of his professional career.

In an interview with Walla Sport, the German center revealed that his difficulties extended beyond on-court performance to significant contractual issues. James claimed he was misled regarding the terms of his agreement and stated, "I felt cheated because of the contract. I fought for my rights for a long time."

James, who currently plays for Darüşşafaka, spent only one season in Tel Aviv in 2016, appearing in 15 EuroLeague games before moving to Bayern Munich. He noted that despite having high-quality individual players, the team lacked chemistry and proper relationships between players. He declined to place sole blame on the coach who was dismissed during that period.