Anadolu Efes have confirmed that Mike James has undergone surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon and is expected to be sidelined for seven to nine months, ending the veteran guard's 2026-27 EuroLeague season. The Turkish club said the injury was very severe and that the season is most likely over for one of its best players.
The announcement came on Friday, two days after James was injured in the third round of the EuroLeague. He went down towards the end of the third quarter of Efes' game in Belgrade against Crvena Zvezda, lying in pain on the court as fears spread that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon. Crvena Zvezda won the game 77-72, but the result was quickly overshadowed by the sight of James on the floor.
In its statement, Anadolu Efes said James "underwent Achilles tendon repair surgery performed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kerem Ülkü", adding that the club's own doctor, Uğur Diliçıkık, "stated that it is anticipated that our player will be away from the courts for 7-9 months, depending on the course of the post-operative treatment process".
The club was careful to frame the timeline as conditional: the 7-9 month range depends on how James responds to treatment after the operation, rather than on a fixed return date. Even so, the arithmetic is stark. Counting from October 2026, seven months would bring a comeback around May 2027, and nine would push it into the summer. The EuroLeague calendar runs from October to May, with the playoffs closing it, so even the most optimistic end of the estimate keeps James out of almost the entire competition.
For Efes the blow is immediate. A team that had opened its European season in Belgrade and left with defeat must now plan without one of its leading guards in the opening days of the new campaign, in one of the heaviest blows of the competition's first weeks. The surgery was performed by a leading orthopaedic specialist, and the club doctor's cautious wording suggests Efes will prioritise a full recovery over any rushed comeback. James will now begin his rehabilitation, with the first updates on his recovery expected in the weeks ahead.
Sources
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/2015400/mike-james-underwent-achilles-tendon-repair-surgery-will-be-out-for-7-9-months/
