Khris Middleton: Giannis, Myself Never Had a Struggle; Agrees Bucks Star is 'Batman'

Heading into their 11th season as teammates with the Milwaukee Bucks, Khris Middleton opened up about his relationship with Giannis Antetokounmpo and how it's evolved over time.

Appearing on The Old Man and the Three podcast (h/t Yakshpat Bhargava of BasketballNetwork.net), Middleton explained there has "never been a struggle" about who is the No. 1 and No. 2 option on the Bucks:

"As we got older the respect that was formed and bonded between those intense practices, then as time goes on, we realized none of this matters. We had our battles in practice now our job is to go out and win. So, whoever is 1..2..3,4,5, that doesn't matter…. As long as we win, everything is taken care of itself, everybody gets paid, everybody is happy, and everybody gets to go wherever they wanna go. That's just the way we learned."

After JJ Redick jokingly said Antetokounmpo is the "Batman" for Milwaukee, Middleton agreed and said they "need him to be that" because it's what the team needs to reach the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Some players understand they can be of greater service to the team's need by putting their own individual goals to the side. Paul George admitted on The Old Man and the Three in March his mindset changed over time from when he started with the Indiana Pacers to his current role with the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I had to be honest to myself," George explained. "In order for me to win at the highest level and get to where I want to get to, I don't think I'm the one guy. I can, I can score with the best, I can take over games with the best. But I don't honestly think that's what my game is if I want to win a championship. I don't think that's where my place is if I want to win a championship. I felt like I learned that."

While injuries have derailed the Clippers' attempts at winning a title since George and Kawhi Leonard joined forces, the Bucks have reached the top of the mountain by having Antetokounmpo at the center of things and Middleton offering high-end support.

There are times when Middleton can take over a game. He had a 40-point performance in Game 4 of the 2021 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns in a 109-103 win for the Bucks to even the series at two games apiece.

But when push comes to shove, Antetokounmpo is going to be the main engine in Milwaukee. He closed out that series against the Suns with one of the best performances in NBA history when he had 50 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6.

Deferring to Antetokounmpo most of the time hasn't done much harm to Middleton throughout his career. The 32-year-old is a three-time All-Star who has averaged more than 20 points per game four times in the past six seasons and is going have more than $300 million in career earnings if he plays out his new three-year, $93 million contract.