BOSTON — After missing the first 21 games of the 2024-25 season due to offseason surgeries on both ankles, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton plans to make his return Friday night against the Boston Celtics.
Last season, the three-time All-Star only played in 55 regular-season games but averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 27 minutes per game. Despite playing through lingering left ankle issues from a sprain on Feb. 6 vs. the Phoenix Suns and a right ankle sprain he suffered in Game 2 of Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, Middleton averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in the postseason as he tried to will the Bucks to wins without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After the Bucks’ shootaround Friday at Northeastern University, Middleton talked with reporters for the first time in more than a month. Here is the entirety of his session:
How are you feeling?
I’m feeling great. Excited to finally be playing again. Don’t know what to expect, but like I said, I’m excited. Just happy to be back on the floor again, playing with my guys.
You’re returning against the defending champs in Boston. How do you feel about the atmosphere for tonight’s game?
Yeah. I mean, it is what it is. I think it will be a big game, a fun game. One of the top teams in the East, the reigning champs, can’t disrespect them in that regard. But it will be a good game for us, hopefully. We need to get back on the winning trail again. Hopefully, I can help a little bit with that, but I’m excited about it.
The team got off to a poor start and then recovered from that poor start to get to 11-10 when you return. In what ways did you see yourself helping the most while you were on the sidelines watching?
Just using my voice. Letting them know what I see, figuring out ways that I could try to help them. It’s hard when you’re standing on the sidelines. You think you have all the answers, but it’s tough when you’re actually out there trying to do the things you’re being told to do. So I definitely understood, but I’m proud, happy they were able to figure it out and get themselves out of that losing stretch we went through and find ways to click as a team.
It will be just the ninth game you, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard play together with Doc Rivers as head coach. How have you been trying to create that bond while not being on the floor together?
Being around as much as I can. I’ve been on every trip. I’ve been to every game, basically. Just being around as much as I can. I think Doc has really encouraged me being around as much as possible. Taking my rehab, did that stuff on the side, but when the team is on the court or when we’re in meetings, he wants me to be around as much as possible for that reason.
Why is now when you were deemed ready to go? Did you clear any final hurdle or did anything change?
It just felt fine, good enough to play. The medical clearance stuff, I don’t know how that got out there really, but wasn’t too happy about it. But I mean, people get medically cleared for stuff all the time, but that doesn’t mean you can go out there and play. You gotta be careful, gotta know your body and listen to your body, and at the time, my body was telling (me) I wasn’t ready to play even though medically it said I was.
When you were waking up each morning and your body wasn’t feeling the way it should, what’s kind of going through your head? Were you going crazy?
It’s part of the process. Yeah, I’ve been through this many a time, so I know it’s part of the process, but try to stay positive. Keep stacking good days on top of each other and not try to have two bad days in a row. That’s the only way I try to get myself through it. Just stay as positive as I can be. Being around the guys helps a lot. When you’re in rehab after surgery, you can be in isolation a lot by yourself, but the guys have been great to me, keeping me along, keeping me with them in everything, so definitely happy about that.
You mentioned bad days, what did a bad day look like for you in this process?
No, it’s just felt like you didn’t have a great day, couldn’t give it your all or couldn’t accomplish what you wanted to accomplish, simple as that. Just a bad day, nothing specific.
Do you know how many minutes you’ll be able to go tonight?
Not sure. I think, still to be determined. But I’m going to take it step-by-step. I’m just happy to be back out there, and I want to stay on the court, so whatever they have planned for me, I’m going to be ready for.
We’ve seen you working out at different practices and shootarounds for a while now, really since the opening game of the season. Was this the hardest return you’ve had from an injury?
Yeah. I think this one was definitely the hardest for me. Just because I had two surgeries. It wasn’t one. I was trying to be balanced on both feet, not compensate for anything because that can lead to other injuries, so I would say this was definitely the hardest thing to come back from, just mentally, physically, feel fine, feel fit, feel ready, feel confident and everything I have to do after that.
Can you elaborate on how important the mental part of this was to you getting back on the floor?
Just, you know, not trying to get into a dark tunnel. I mean, having as many surgeries as I have had, coming back from this one, I wanted to make sure I was all the way ready to come back, be as fresh as I can mentally to be in a good spot. Because it’s a long, grueling season. I’m going to go through a lot things during the season, going to get hit, banged up, whatever, to have that mindset that I can still fight through and to keep going.
You haven’t played yet this season and you’re returning to the floor against one of the best teams in the NBA. Does that make you a little more anxious or nervous?
Definitely a little anxious, a little nervous, but it’s a good thing — that means you care about it and you want to play well. So, I accept those feelings, and like I said, I’m excited for tonight, excited for the rest of the season.
We’ve seen you doing other work outside of five-on-five throughout this process to work on your conditioning. Where do you feel like you are in that regard?
That’s one of the things I’m nervous about, just to see how I feel when I get out there, see if I’m going to be ready to throw up in a minute once I’m out there or if I’ll be fine. If I’m going to shoot the ball over the rim or over the glass, whatever, just with the nerves and adrenaline going. I’m excited to see how I perform and just go from there.
What do you want the ramping-up process to look like after tonight?
Can’t answer that. Hopefully great. Hopefully I don’t have any problems, any setbacks, anything to be concerned or worried about that I get the green light to keep going.
Throughout this process, Doc has made sure you’ve gone through skeleton drills on offense and defense, so how comfortable do you feel with the team’s tactics and strategy and how you fit into what the team is doing on offense and defense?
I’m not worried about that at all. I’ve been playing basketball for a very long time, played in a lot different systems, been around watching what these guys do and in the film sessions hearing them talk. I may still forget a couple things — that’s natural — but I don’t think I’ll have a problem as far as that.
(Photo of Khris Middleton: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
