Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Mike James sustained an Achilles injury during Thursday’s EuroLeague Round 3 encounter against Crvena Zvezda, forcing him to leave the game in the third quarter.
The incident occurred with 2:40 remaining in the period and the Serbian team holding a narrow 53-51 advantage.
While attempting to recover a loose ball, James accelerated briefly before suddenly falling to the floor without making contact with another player. The 36-year-old immediately reached for his lower right leg and was unable to continue.
Medical personnel attended to the veteran guard, who was eventually carried off the court on a stretcher. Crvena Zvezda supporters applauded James as he was taken away for further examination.
Anadolu Efes subsequently confirmed that the EuroLeague’s all-time leading scorer had suffered an Achilles injury, with additional medical tests scheduled for Friday in Istanbul to determine its severity.
Before his departure, James had contributed 11 points and 3 assists, finishing with a Performance Index Rating (PIR) of 4 in 22 minutes and 30 seconds of action.
The American guard joined Efes in July on a 1+1 contract following five seasons with AS Monaco, where he had played since 2021.
