Reigning EuroLeague MVP Gets Candid About Champs' Chances Against Celtics

How would the best club in Europe fare against the class of the NBA?

Nov 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after making the basket and being fouled by LA Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) (not pictured) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Former longtime NBA point guard-turned-EuroLeague superstar Mike James has enjoyed a multifaceted career both stateside and abroad. He may be more qualified than most to assess just how well the best team in Europe, reigning EuroLeague champion Greek club Panathinaikos, would fare against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, currently off to an elite 15-3 start.

As the 6-foot-1 vet detailed in conversation with Anadolu Efes’ Shane Larkin and Elijah Bryant on their Off the RECourt podcast, he doesn't think a game between Panathinaikos and Boston would be particularly close.

"They [Boston] would beat them [Panathinaikos] by 30. OAKA and European rules? 30. It’d be nasty. It’s just a bad matchup. The thing Pana does good is they have guards. Celtics have the best guard defenders in the world. Jrue [Holiday] is amazing," James said.

Holiday, 34, is a two-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Team honoree, and has now been a critical part of two NBA champion teams and two Olympic gold medal squads. His starting backcourt mate, 30-year-old Derrick White, is a two-time All-Defensive Teamer, and a similarly aggressive two-way standout.

"After we took care of that, we go to the three position," James continued. "Who’s guarding [All-Stars Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown? [Marius Grigonis} Grigonis? [Power forward Konstantinos "Dinos" Mitoglou] Mitoglou guarding Porzingis?"

"I think their [Celtics] length in Europe would be crazy. Jrue is 6-foot-4 and he’s the shortest person White is also listed at 6-foot-4]. That’s the strongest team that I know."

Last year, Boston posted a league-best 64-18 record in the regular season, then made quick work of the opposition in the playoffs, going 16-3 to claim their record 18th title. This year's team returns all of Boston's top 10 players.

"Pana might get some wins against somebody else too," James added. "Good EuroLeague teams could get 20 wins in the NBA, with NBA rules. They would get wins just because they would play harder."

The current dregs of the league, by record, are the 2-13 Washington Wizards, the 3-13 Philadelphia 76ers, the 4-14 Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans, and the 4-12 Utah Jazz. The 76ers and Pelicans are more talented than those records would suggest, and have been felled by inconveniently timed injuries to an extent, though neither team appears likely to become the kind of contender both had no doubt hoped to be prior to the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. The Wizards, Raptors, and Jazz are right where they want to be: at the top of the sweepstakes for Duke superstar power forward Cooper Flagg.

James played for two years in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns, Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets, in 2017-18 and again in 2020-21. He is now EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer, thanks to his tenures with Monaco, Baskonia, Panathinaikos, Olimpia Milano, and then-EuroLeague club CSKA Moscow.

"I’m hoping they don’t change the format for a while," James added. "So by the time I’m off. They might add games and that gives people more chances. I hope they don’t do that for 15 years. So I’m good and retired and gone. When LeBron broke Kareem’s [all-time scoring] record, Kareem was like ‘You got it now, I had the record forever.”

He has been with Monaco since 2021, and earned EuroLeague MVP and All-EuroLeague First Team honors this year.

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