Khris Middleton says he's not fazed by Giannis Antetokoumpo's comments regarding free agency: "I think it's kind of business as usual either way"
While some in the Milwaukee Bucks franchise may have been put on edge by Giannis Antetokounmpo, especially after the two-time NBA MVP discussed his stance regarding free agency, Khris Middleton says he’s not sweating it. Rather, the veteran wingman says this is something Giannis has consistently stated whenever he’s up for a contract renewal.
“I think it's kind of business as usual either way. It doesn't affect me personally. I don't think it affects us as a team. I think this is something he said almost every year he's come up in contract extension talks,” Middleton said in a talk with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Challenging the team
Middleton explained that he understood where the “Greek Freak” was coming from and didn’t want the franchise to get complacent. After winning an NBA title in 2021, the Bucks have flamed out in the NBA Playoffs in each of the last two seasons, culminating in a horrendous first-round exit earlier this year.
“We want this guy to come back because he's one of the best players in the world. He's one of the best players in franchise history. So when he says things like that, I think he just wants to challenge the team, the organization, to keep putting us in position to win championships,” Middleton continued.
Putting the pressure on himself
Middleton added that Giannis wasn’t only holding the franchise and its decision-makers accountable, but he was also putting the pressure on himself. The buck starts and stops with how Giannis performs in every season, and no one knows that better than the two-time MVP himself.
“But I think it's just something that he just wants to keep putting pressure on everybody. And that's himself also. He's not just pointing a finger at everybody else saying, 'You guys have to do this for me.' I think he's putting that pressure on himself to be better, to come in and be great every year.”
