In a recent appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast, Khris Middleton opened up about the sacrifices he undertook for the sake of getting his team to win. Despite earning $16,936,380 less than Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton unselfishly fulfilled his duties in being Robin for the Milwaukee Bucks alongside Giannis, the Batman. As he said in JJ Redick’s podcast, sometimes it’s necessary to not be ‘the guy’ when everything is all about collective team success.
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Khris Middleton and Giannis were two of the most crucial players in the Bucks’ championship run during the 2020-21 season. Middleton averaged 20.4 points per game and a career-high 5.4 assists and 6 rebounds per game in the regular season. His and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s contributions to the Bucks resulted in the franchise’s first NBA title in fifty years.
Khris Middleton opens up about being Robin alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo
In Khris Middleton’s appearance on the podcast, the former Clippers player asked Middleton about fitting with the player hierarchy at the Bucks locker room. Denoting Khris as Batman and Giannis as Robin, Redick asked Middleton how this hierarchy and understanding worked out to win the Bucks their 2021 championship.
Answering the question, Khris mentioned how in the early days of his career, he was battling his basketball prowess with Giannis during practices and to secure minutes on-court. However, in the long run, it never mattered. The Bucks forward did not really care about being a first or second option. It was all about winning and not being ‘the guy’ for the team.
“As we got older, there was a respect that was formed and [Giannis and Middleton] bonded between those intense practices. As time goes on, we realize that none of this matters, one speaking into a game. We had our practice, we had our battles in practice, now our job is to go our and win. So we go out and win. Whoever’s one, two, three, four, five, that doesn’t matter. As long as we win, everything is taking care of itself. Everybody gets paid, everybody’s happy, everybody gets to go with where they want to go. That’s just the way we learned…Sometimes it’s okay not being the guy, I have no problem not being the guy.”
Perhaps, here we see similarities between Dwyane Wade and Khris Middleton. Both these players’ sacrifices helped their team towards success, while also ensuring their teammates achieved the best. Currently, Middleton is on a 3-year $93,000,000 deal with the Bucks and is expected to be a free agent by 2026. On the other hand, Giannis is in the third year of his 5-year $228,200,420 contract with the Bucks and will be eligible for free agency in 2026.
Khris Middleton’s retirement would be one of the toughest days in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career
Khris Middleton and Giannis’ combined efforts have transformed the face of the Milwaukee Bucks from a lottery team to a legitimate title contender. Giannis considers his partnership with Middleton special, which has very well translated from their unique on-court chemistry and combined prowess during games. If Khris Middleton ever chooses to retire, Giannis would consider that day to be the toughest of his career.
Khris Middleton’s performance against the Atlanta Hawks, in a 2021 playoff game, left everyone spellbound. His 30/10/5/5-threes game made him the only Bucks player to do so twice. Giannis believes that Middleton is a crucial player who carries the team like no other. Seems like the Greek Freak is suggesting without Middleton, all of his recent successes would have been incomplete.
