“He’s Just Old”: Giannis Antetokounmpo Roasts Khris Middleton for Being Slow

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are now in their 11th season together with the Milwaukee Bucks, and it’s clear that the pair has quite the rapport. Their lengthy friendship entails frequent well-intentioned jabs, of which we saw an example from the two-time MVP recently.

Following the team’s victory against the Brooklyn Nets, Giannis was asked about his veteran teammate’s performance and how he has operated since returning from injury. This prompted a smile from the eight-time All-Star, who immediately poked fun at the seniority of his 33-year-old running mate.

“He’s old. He’s just old, he’s gotta move the ball. Like you saw that transition three that he made, how slow it was. That was slow… He made it, too!” Antetokounmpo said smiling ear to ear.

But Giannis also took time to praise his veteran teammate, who is figuring out how to remain productive during the twilight of his career. “It’s always great to have him [Middleton]… he’s one of those players that plays the right way. He’s gonna move the ball, put everybody in the right spots. he’s going to get to the right spots too.” Giannis added.

“He’s old. He’s just old.”

Giannis on Khris’ age and acumen. pic.twitter.com/J5dUK8nyrL

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 9, 2024

Antetokounmpo and Middelton have consistently found a way to lift their teammates up during their time together, but this is far from the first time that the pair have made jokes regarding each other’s age. While celebrating the Greek Freak’s 30th birthday just two days ago, Middleton said that he’s excited to give the future Hall of Famer a taste of his own medicine.

“Definitely laughing at him, he gives me s**t all the time for looking old or being old, and now that he crossed the 30 borderline, I get to give him a little crap about it,” Middleton said with a smile.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kane (@kane_pitman)

Middleton’s return to the court has been Milwaukee’s biggest win recently. But now that the jokes are back as well between the veteran duo, it truly feels like the Bucks are getting back to their contending ways.

Khris Middleton’s return will be a boon for Milwaukee

Middleton has played in just two games this season since returning from a pair of nagging ankle injuries, and it has already become clear how vital the veteran forward’s production will be for the Bucks, who have won both the games he has played in.

The three-time All-Star has been working his way back into the rotation slowly, limited to about 20 minutes a night over his first two contests. After being an everyday starter for the Bucks over the past decade or so, it’s a notable role change for Middleton. But he is proving that he can still be incredibly effective from the second unit.

His modest average of 11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists are noteworthy dips from his career average, as expected. Middleton likely won’t be returning to his All-Star form, but his three-level scoring and playmaking will only become more important as he becomes more acclimated in his new role.