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Giannis Antetokounmpo looks back on the journey he and Khris Middleton have had: "My first year, I was like Andre (Jackson), he was like MarJon (Beauchamp)"

Giannis reflects on the journey he’s had with Khris Middleton.

Jonas Panerio

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Milwaukee Bucks aces Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have been teammates for over 700 games. The duo has seen one another grow from wide-eyed youngsters in the NBA to grizzled veterans who won an NBA championship together in 2021. The two have also shattered numerous franchise records. Middleton achieved a personal milestone on Monday as he rose to third on the Bucks’ all-time scoring list, trailing only Giannis and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

After the game, Giannis reminisced about the times he and Khris had during their early years on the Bucks.

Giannis’ rookie season

Giannis entered the NBA in 2013 after getting selected 15th overall in the NBA Draft. Middleton arrived in Milwaukee for his sophomore season after getting traded by the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brandon Jennings. Giannis remembered the first time he and Middleton met.

“It's awesome to see from the first day that I stepped in training camp fighting for some minutes with Larry Drew. His second year, my first year, I was like Andre (Jackson), he was like MarJon (Beauchamp). We were just going at one another, and just look where we are now 11 years later,” Giannis shared.

Not getting the steals record

Giannis continued by saying he hopes to play with Middleton for many more years.

“I hope when it's all said and done, I hope that we hold all the records. We've played 715 games, 720 games, we're probably going to play 1,000 games together. Just gotta keep on getting better, gotta keep on playing the right way, keep on staying humble, keep on being over ourselves and doing what's right for the team, for the young players. Be the right example, the right role model for them,” Giannis said.

Giannis playfully asserted that Middleton wasn’t getting near the franchise’s steals record, which belongs to Quinn Buckner, who had 1,042 steals in his Bucks’ career. Giannis is fourth with 869, while Middleton trails him with 832.

“I think he doesn't have the steals record yet - he's what, third, and I'm second? - he ain't getting that one. I'm not giving him that one. Nah, I'm joking.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo logs triple-double, helps Bucks beat Pistons

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO