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Khris Middleton reflects on the toughest times of his life: "It got really high, then it got really low for me the last year or two"

Khris Middleton went through some really tough times.
Jonas Panerio|
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Milwaukee Bucks

Now playing in his 12th season with the Milwaukee Bucks, All-Star wingman Khris Middleton is as much a part of the franchise's fabric as superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But his journey these past few years, going from a reliable cog to being oft-injured, has not been easy.

In a recent interview with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jim Owczarski, Middleton opened up about the challenges he faced in his personal life, including the death of his father and the struggles with trying to get back on the court after numerous injuries.

Began with an MCL sprain

After helping the Bucks win the 2021 NBA title, Milwaukee was poised for another deep postseason run when disaster struck. Middleton had slipped on a wet spot on the floor in Game Two of their first-round match-up against the Chicago Bulls, causing him to suffer an MCL sprain that would sideline him for the rest of the NBA Playoffs.

A few months later, the team's medical staff deemed surgery necessary to repair Middleton's injured wrist. And when things were brightening up with his imminent return to the court, Middleton suffered a huge personal loss, as his father, James, suddenly passed away in November 2022.

"I've been thinking and hoping that I'm getting out of that stretch of my life where I can move on to a little bit more positive things. But yeah, it got really high then it got really low for me the last year or two," Middleton said.

"But that's life. We go through things at different stages, and you learn and grow from it. I think that's the most important thing. Try to let a lot of frustration go and realize part of it is life and just try to grow with it, learn from it all, and appreciate things a little bit more."

Trouble staying on the floor

Not long after returning to action, Middleton suffered another blow as he began experiencing discomfort in his right knee. He missed 18 straight games, and upon his return, he was slapped with a rigid minutes restriction. All these conspired to hinder his performance on the court, leading to frustrations boiling off of it.

He took the time off to reflect and think about how he would tackle the challenges.

"I think at home after surgery, being with my family, just sitting and thinking, 'Which way are you going to take it?' Are you going to still sulk and be sad or complain about different things not going your way, or are you going to appreciate what you still have and appreciate and have fun with what you're capable of doing? And that's the route I'm trying to take," Middleton shared.

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO