The Roca Team has done it again! For the second consecutive Betclic Elite season, Monaco’s premier men’s basketball team has won the league and claimed the Champions of France title.
AS Monaco Basket has retained the glory the team achieved in 2023 by beating Paris Basketball in a game that the Rouges et Blancs made look like a cakewalk.
It was almost as if Paris forgot to turn up for Game 4 of the Finals series, which was played out in the Adidas Arena on Wednesday 12th June, and Monaco’s Roca Team took control from the very start, leading 19 points to nil, all but leaving their rivals in the dust.
Throughout the final, the Monegasque side went from strength-to-strength, dominating in every quarter with relentless energy and determination.
The players deserved every one of the 115 points scored versus Paris’s far weaker 76. Captain Mike James put in an incredible performance, racking up 27 points alone and earning himself a second Most Valuable Player award of the season.
See more: AS Monaco’s Mike James named Most Valuable Player in the EuroLeague
“We had to increase the intensity against a very good team who had a great season,” said James after the game. “We had to respond to what they had imposed on [us in] Game 2 and we did it very well. As a leader, I had to set an example and be aggressive to succeed in retaining this title of Champion of France. We experienced a real disappointment with the EuroLeague, we had to refocus. Going back-to-back in the French Championship is no small thing.”
But James wasn’t the only player to shine. Élie Okobo scored a huge 23 points on the night, followed by Mouhammadou Jaiteh, who added 14 to the final tally.
See more: Basketball: Monaco are the Champions of France 2023
Coach Sasa Obradovich has expressed pride in his team, saying, “I think we had a great season. A very good season contrary to what anyone can say. If we had reached the EuroLeague Final Four, how would you have judged the season? It was not an easy year. I am proud to have led this group, which was able to adapt to different situations.”
The Roca Team will now enjoy a well-deserved summer break before returning to the court in September as France’s reigning champs.
Read more:
Roca Team blow Paris Basketball away in Game 3 of Betclic Elite finals
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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department