Monaco

Player to watch : Nikola Mirotić

Monaco boasts two of the last four EuroLeague MVPs in its ranks : Mike James… and Nikola Mirotić ! Having arrived in the Principality this summer, the forward is the star of the season. From Madrid to Barcelona to Chicago, the Montenegrin giant has shone wherever he’s played.

We’re talking about a player capable of stringing together six EuroLeague seasons averaging over 15 points with a similar efficiency rating. Capable of reigning supreme across the Old Continent. Capable of finishing near the basket or stepping back to knock down three-pointers. Aside from the coveted EuroLeague title, Nikola Mirotić has won it all. Often criticized for his lack of leadership, his partnership with Mike James promises to be explosive both on and off the court.

Playing Style

In Monaco, there are exceptional individual talents, but no star who stands above the team. This is a principle that the ultra-demanding Sergii Gladyr and Manuchar Markoishvili made clear to the entire team during the 2025 LNB playoffs following Mike James’ suspension. They are fully in tune with the times, though they haven’t revolutionized Monaco’s style of play since Vassilis Spanoulis’ departure in early 2026.

They prefer a gradual transition from Obradović’s style to their own. Last year, this dynamic approach was already evident on both ends of the court: heightened standards, relentless intensity, and above all, rare tactical flexibility. The goal is to build a well-rounded team capable of adapting to any situation. Hence the need for every player to be on the same page.

Club History

Less than a decade after the creation of its soccer division, AS Monaco founded its basketball division in 1928. Competing in the French league, the Roca Team shone in the 1940s in the Excellence division, then won its first titles starting in 1950. During this period, the Monegasques were already challenging for the top spot, as evidenced by their second-place finish in Nationale 1.

But immediately following these strong performances, Monaco bounced between the first and second divisions. Plagued by chronic instability, the Red and Whites were relegated to Nationale 2 before finally establishing themselves in the top flight, first from 1973 to 1975 and then from 1976 to 1991. Aside from a 1983 Federation Cup final and the occasional playoff appearance, the Principality’s club struggled until its… or rather, its relegations !

After being relegated to Nationale 2 (D4), wealthy Ukrainian businessman Sergei Dyadechko bought Monaco in the 2000s. A new owner meant a return to ambition on the Rock. In 2012, Monaco returned to NM1. The Roca Team then relied on a major recruitment drive to quickly climb the final rungs of the ladder. And after a 24-year drought, Monaco returned to the elite of French basketball. With players like Cyril Akpomedah, Moustapha Fall, and Darrel Mitchell in its ranks, the Roca Team has no intention of stopping now.

Here we go again! Monaco is once again giving itself the means to perform. Under the leadership of Zvezdan Mitrovic, the Monegasques clinched first place in the regular season in 2016 before falling in the semifinals to their new nemesis: ASVEL! History repeated itself the following season in the LNB quarterfinals, even as the Principality’s club achieved its first major breakthrough in Europe with a third-place finish in the Basketball Champions League (C3). Better yet! Over the next three years, Yak’s teammates reached the finals of the BCL (C3), the EuroCup (C2), and the Jeep Elite.

The only trophy in Monaco’s trophy case is the Leaders Cup (2016, 2017, and 2018). That, however, was before 2021, a year marked by a triumph in the EuroCup final against UNICS Kazan. And despite his three titles as the league’s best coach, Zvezdan Mitrović is stepping down to make way for Saša Obradović. As the 2021–2022 season gets underway, Monaco adds Mike James to its roster. The start was certainly challenging, but the Roca Team pulled off the feat of qualifying for the EuroLeague (C1) playoffs. However, Game 5 did not go well for the Monegasques, whether against Olympiacos in Europe or against ASVEL in the Jeep ÉLITE final.

Monaco has a completely different status and fully embraces it in 2023. Beyond reaching the EuroLeague (C1) Final Four, ASM clinches the French Cup and League double following historic LNB playoffs featuring three sweeps and eight wins in as many games. The Roca Team capitalizes on this momentum to win back-to-back titles the following season. However, the curse of second place returns in 2025 in the EuroLeague and then in the Betclic ÉLITE following a wild overtime against Paris Basketball. Today, the Roca Team has made Europe its priority and hopes to soon become the second French club to win the premier FIBA competition. However, financial troubles have caught up with the club from the Rock. Between unpaid bills and strong statements from the players, the institution’s future remains uncertain. This Leaders Cup victory in early 2026 has nevertheless brought a breath of fresh air to the Principality.

Focus : World War II

As strange as it may seem, the French basketball championship did not come to a halt during the German occupation in World War II. On the contrary, the battle for the Excellence title was in full swing, with AS Monaco leading the pack!

Ranked among the favorites, the Roca Team reached, among other achievements, the occupied zone final in 1942 against the Union Sportive Métropolitaine des Transports. The Monegasques narrowly missed out on advancing to the national championship final. Monaco would not achieve a better result during this period, reaching the southern zone semifinals in 1943, followed by the quarterfinals in 1945.

The Number: < 5,800

That’s the number of points Mike James has scored in the EuroLeague—he is currently the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

other teams

Cholet

Strasbourg

Gravelines-Dunkerque

Nanterre

Monaco

Boulazac

Chalon/Saône

Dijon

Cholet

Le Mans

Limoges

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

Nancy