Giannis Antetokounmpo has only known the NBA with Khris Middleton by his side.
They are brothers. They are family. They are a duo Bucks fans loved.
They had experienced extreme lows going from the worst team in the NBA in their first season together to the ultimate high in winning an NBA championship. They’ve experienced personal loss and the greatest personal triumphs together.
So, fresh off the news that Middleton was going to be traded from the Bucks to the Washington Wizards, ending their long partnership together, Antetokounmpo on Wednesday first discussed with the media how the bond he had with his longtime teammate went beyond the court. He had a few long answers to describe their close relationship.
Hours later, Antetokounmpo on social media needed just two words to show his appreciation for Middleton’s greatness.
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“My GOAT,” Antetokounmpo wrote on X followed by a goat emoji and the 100 points emoji. GOAT, of course, is an acronym for the “greatest of all time.”
He also shared two pictures of Middleton celebrating the Bucks’ 2021 NBA title, one raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy and another smoking a cigar in the locker room after Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
It was the Bucks’ first championship in 50 years and Antetokounmpo and Middleton built the foundation.
Khris Middleton playoff moments
Middleton, nicknamed Kash Money for his smooth jump shot, had many special moments during the title run.
There was the game-winner to kickstart the playoff run against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the first-round series at home; there was the 38-point game against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to force a winner-take-all contest; and after Antetokounmpo was injured in the Eastern Conference finals Middleton put the team on his back and scored 32 points in the series-clinching Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks.
He wasn’t done. In the NBA Finals, Middleton had a playoff career-high 40 points in the crucial Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns as the Bucks tied the series before taking the next two games to win the title.
Antetokounmpo and Middleton did it all together and had the entire city behind them. That’s why during the Bucks’ post-game on-court celebration, Antetokounmpo turned to Middleton and exclaimed on live TV: “We did it, huh? We f—ing did it.”
From one GOAT to another.
Giannis’ comments Wednesday night had Bucks fans bringing out the tissues.
