Khris Middleton Deserves an All-Star for Recognizing He Wasn’t One, Says Retired Vet
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton was named to his first All-Star team. Middleton averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 44.1 from the field, 37.8 from behind the arc, and 83.7 from the free-throw line per game according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Middleton averaged three fewer points this year, his field goal percentage is worse, his three-point is worse, his free-throw rate was worse, but he makes the All-Star team? Huh…How? You can’t evaluate things off team success if the individual is not playing that great. Okay, Milwaukee is number one so, we are going to pick the two best players on the team to be in the All-Star game.
That is not how things are supposed to work. The second best player’s year is worse than the year before. If someone looked at the stats they would say how do we have an All-star this year because everything is down across the board,” Arenas told me.
During the 2017-18 season, Middleton averaged 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 51.7 from the field, 35.9 from behind the arc, and 88.4 from the free-throw line per game. The Milwaukee Bucks were in Dallas when the 2018-19 All-Star team participates were announced, and Middleton declined to answer any questions about his All-Star selection. He instructed the media to talk to his Bucks teammates instead.
“With that being said he deserves an All-Star for understanding he wasn’t one. You see how that works knowing that he personally didn’t deserve it because he was having a bad year. He knew it, so he gave the credit to his teammates. If it wasn’t for them winning, he wouldn’t have made it. Now to me, he is an All-Star for understanding that,” Arenas said.
Gilbert Arenas is a former multi-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards. During his ten years in the NBA, Arenas averaged 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
On June 29th, Heavy’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson reported that Middleton would likely return to Milwaukee on a max deal.
Khris Middleton will likely return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a max deal.
— 👑📍Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson (@ScoopB) June 29, 2019
The next day, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, that Bucks retained the services of both Middleton and Brook Lopez. News of Lopez’s deal was published first as he signed a four-year deal worth $52 million that includes no option years. Then the details of Middleton’s deal came in as he signed a five-year deal worth $178 million to stay in Milwaukee.
According to Spotrac.com, Middleton will earn the bulk of his five-year deal in the last three of the contract and become an unrestricted free-agent in 2024.
This summer Middleton will represent Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup along with Donovan Mitchell, Brook Lopez, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, and Harrison Barnes.
Lopez and Middleton, both had games to forget as Team USA fell to Australia earlier today 94-90. The Australians snapped the USA’s 78-game win streak in the second friendly against Austria at Marvel Stadium. It is the first loss for the US in 13 years.
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
His bylines have appeared in Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Heavy.com, Meta’s Bulletin and One37pm, where he has contributed exclusive interviews, breaking news and cultural insights. At Heavy.com, his work drew more than a million views in just eight months, and at One37pm, it contributed to record-breaking traffic numbers.
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