Wizards' Khris Middleton gets huge ovations as he plays at Milwaukee for 1st time since trade

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Khris Middleton considers a standing ovation from an opposing team's crowd one of the ultimate signs of respect.

Middleton received a few of them Wednesday as he played in Milwaukee for the first time since the Bucks sent the three-time All-Star to the Washington Wizards at last season's trade deadline.

The first ovation came when his name was called during pregame lineup introductions. Middleton got another round of applause after a minute-long video tribute to him played on the scoreboard during the first timeout. The fans rose to their feet again when Middleton left the game for good after scoring 23 points in the Wizards' 133-120 loss to the Bucks.

“That’s every player’s dream, to get a standing ovation, no matter where they’re at,” Middleton said.

Middleton said he had been anticipating this game ever since the NBA schedule came out and he'd be opening the season back in Milwaukee. The reception he got from the Bucks fans exceeded all his expectations.

They wanted to thank him for everything he had done during his dozen seasons in Milwaukee, which included averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists in the postseason during the Bucks’ run to the 2021 title, their first championship in 50 years.

He said after the game the only thing keeping it from being a perfect night was the fact the Wizards lost the game.

“To get that type of recognition and appreciation from the city, the organization, that meant the world to me,” Middleton said.

This wasn’t the first time Middleton had faced his former team since the Bucks sent him and 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson to Washington in a deal that brought Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee. He scored 12 points and missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer in the Wizards’ 104-101 loss to the Bucks in Washington on Feb. 21.

But that didn’t reduce any of the emotional impact that comes from playing against the Bucks in Milwaukee, where he had so many of his career highlights.

“Thankfully, I didn’t cry," Middleton said. "I heard some of my family members cried, my friends cried and what not. That means a lot to me, that they all feel a part of this and they all felt like they were back at home.”

After the airing of the video tribute to him, Middleton walked onto the court, raised his arms and then placed his right hand over his heart a few times. The leading 3-point shooter in Bucks history then sank a 3 on the Wizards’ ensuing possession.

Middleton also is the Bucks' third-leading scorer with 12,586 points, behind former teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Middleton also ranks second to Antetokounmpo in games played (735), third in assists (2,990), fifth in steals (870) and seventh in rebounds (3,598).

In the days leading up to this game, Antetokounmpo referred to Middleton as “my brother for life.” That didn't stop them from competing on the court all night.

Late in the second quarter, Middleton even drew a charge as Antetokounmpo picked up his third foul.

“I saw his eyes light up when he saw me under the rim,” Middleton said. “So I knew either foul, take a charge or get out of the way. I wanted to set the right example for my teammates and got the charge.”

How painful was it?

“I've gotten worse hits from that guy,” Antetokounmpo said.

Antetokounmpo wasn't surprised by how well Middleton played.

“He’s still a big treat when he’s out there on the court,” Antetokounmpo said. “He always plays the right way, makes good decisions, makes his teammates better. Defensively he’s always going to be in the right position. He's sometimes going to put his body on the line and take a charge. He's always been playing smart.”

Middleton’s career totals with Milwaukee would be even higher if injuries hadn’t limited him to 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 in 2023-24. Middleton missed the Bucks’ first 21 games last season after recovering from surgeries to each of his ankles.

He also had a sprained medial collateral ligament that prevented him from playing in the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals, which the Bucks lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics.

Middleton is feeling good now and eager to start a season without worrying about his health.

“My body feels great,” Middleton said during the Wizards' Wednesday morning shootaround. “I had a great summer where I got to start from the basics and build up and not really have to worry about rehabs or coming back and procedures and whatnot. My body’s in a good place. We’ll see how it goes this season.”

The season couldn't have started much better for Middleton, who exchanged hugs with Antetokounmpo and his other former Bucks teammates and coaches before raising his arm to the crowd as he headed into the visitors' locker room.

“I tried to get not too caught up in the moment, but the standing ovations are something that’s special, something I really didn’t anticipate too much,” Middleton said. “To get that type of love and appreciation from the fans, I think that’s cool. I think we all picture ourselves as kids waving to 20,000 people. I finally got that moment.”

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