Giannis Antetokounmpo Jokes About Facing Former Teammate Khris Middleton

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton spent 12 years playing on the same team. They developed strong chemistry over the years and won a championship together in 2021. Giannis talked often about how Middleton was more than a teammate; he was family. While the media loves to try and figure out where the former MVP will be traded to, Giannis has talked at length about finding a home in Milwaukee.

However, the NBA is all about winning and injuries have limited what Middleton can do on the court. The team traded him to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma before the deadline. Last night was the first time the two teams faced each other since the trade, and Antetokounmpo joked about how weird it was to see his former teammate in a different uniform.

Giannis Antetokounmpo On Facing Khris Middleton

It is rare in today’s NBA to find teammates who have been together as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Player movement is at an all-time high, and rosters are constantly changing. The Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a narrow victory against the Washington Wizards on Friday night. As fate would have it, Middleton had an opportunity to tie the game with a three-pointer. He missed it, and the Bucks held on to win. Giannis joked about how it was weird to be cheering for him to miss after years of hoping every shot he makes goes in.

“Usually I’m like ‘make it Khris’ you know and today I was like ‘miss it Khris.’ But yeah, happy to see him out there. He looks weird with that jersey on.”

After the game, the two met on the court and gave a heartfelt handshake and hug. Both understand it is a business, and the goal is to win championships, but it always hurts when a friend moves away. It was also the first time Kuzma faced his former team. He admitted is was weird as well and a few times he accidentally dapped up his former teammates after a good play. 

“One time in the first quarter, it might have been Alex [Sarr], he might have blocked a shot. Bilal [Coulibaly] came over to dap him up,” Kuzma said. “Then I dapped up Bilal, just by instinct. It was weird.”

Milwaukee Bucks Outlook

The Milwaukee Bucks currently hold the fifth seed in the East. There is still plenty of season to go, but it seems unlikely they will catch the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers. The New York Knicks would also have to have an epic collapse to give up the three seed. Ultimately, I don’t believe Milwaukee cares too much about their seeding. They care about making sure they go into the playoffs with their team healthy. Last season, their first-round exit from the playoffs was due to both Giannis and Damian Lillard being injured.

Both of those players have been dealing with injuries, and the Bucks have been cautious with them. They let Giannis sit for a handful of games before the All-Star break and have been easing him back in. In Thursday night’s victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, he didn’t play much crunch time in order to give his knee more rest. Lillard missed last night’s game and is also making sure to manage his injury carefully. The good news is this is giving the team time to develop some young players who may be valuable contributors come playoff time.

Final Thoughts

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the few players that always gives your team a chance to win. As long as he is healthy, the Bucks will be a tough out in the playoffs. Can Milwaukee make one more NBA Finals run with their aging roster?