Every time you think Mike James is out of the league, the NBA sucks him right back in.
But this time it just might be for good (or at least the next 10 days) with the Dallas Mavericks who will sign the veteran point guard to a 10-day according to multiple published reports.
Do not look at the 37-year old James signing with the Mavs simply as one aging leader replacing another with Dallas releasing Derek Fisher weeks ago — even though James was described as "the closest thing out there" — but instead a glowing benefit of James attending the D-League's annual 16-team showcase tournament with the Texas Legends.
What sold the Mavs besides the need for some veteran presence in the backcourt? How about James’ stat line: 26 points in three quarters in one game with the Legends.
With all of James’ various stops along his basketball journey, he most certainly is a legend in his own right from going undrafted out of Duquesne in 1998 to stints in the USBL, overseas, CBA, the NBA with Miami, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Houston, Toronto, Minnesota, New Orleans, Washington, Chicago and then in the D-League.
In his 10 NBA seasons, he has averaged 10.4 points and 3.6 assists per game. Not bad for a journeyman whose best season in the league came with the Raptors during the 2005-06 season when James averaged a career-high 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, while starting 79 games in Toronto.
The road back to the NBA this season however for James is similar to last season when he played in the D-League for the Erie BayHawks before signing with Chicago, where he appeared in 11 games and averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 assists in 11 minutes per game.
Now it is not really a question of, how long will James stay in Dallas?
It is more like, can he play for every NBA team before calling it a career?
In order to make room for Mike James, the Mavs waived Chris Douglas-Roberts on Sunday to open up room on their roster. James is scheduled to make his debut for Dallas against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Now, that is one team James has not played for…yet.
