The Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton is a 3x All-Star and former Big 12 honoree. The South Carolina-born small forward helped the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years back in 2021. He won an Olympic gold medal that same year with Team USA.
Growing up, he was surrounded by people who took basketball very seriously. After all, his cousin is a former basketball player and 2x NBA champ, Josh Powell. Another one of his cousins, Kenny Manigault, also established himself as a basketball player and even joined Khris as a teammate on the Carolina Celtics. It’s safe to say his family has nurtured a culture of winning and basketball. But did that come from Khris’ parents, James and Nichelle Middleton? Let’s find out.
Who are Khris Middleton’s parents, James and Nichelle?
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Khris’ father is named James Middleton and his mother is named Nichelle Middleton. They are American nationals who reside in Charleston, South Carolina, where Khris was born. There is not much available information regarding them since they remain out of the public eye.
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Although we do know that the couple has another child, Brittney Middleton, Khris’ older sister. She resides in California where she runs her business called BraidHouse, which was known as BeautyBeez earlier. Similar to her parents, she avoids the public eye so we know very little about her.
Which year was Khris Middleton drafted into the NBA?
Coming out of Texas A&M, Middleton was averaging 13.2 points and 5 rebounds per game. Despite his numbers going down from the previous year, Middleton declared himself for the NBA Draft in 2012, forgoing his college eligibility. In the 2012 NBA Draft, he was picked in the 2nd round. The Detroit Pistons drafted him as the 39th overall pick in the Draft that year.
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He signed a rookie-scale contract with the Pistons in August 2012. Then four months later he was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, now the G League, by the Pistons. But only a week later, Detroit recalled him.
Middleton spent the rest of the season on the bench, barely receiving much playing time. He only played 27 games in his rookie season, averaging 17.6 minutes per game. Khris averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists during that time. Pretty dismal, considering his quality as a player.
Moving to the Bucks the following year was the best thing to happen to Khris’ NBA career. He played all 82 for the Bucks in 2012-13, in stark contrast to his rookie season. And he would eventually become champions with the Bucks, showing that time does heal all wounds!
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Khris Middleton is now a well-regarded veteran, with the 2024/25 season being his 13th season in the NBA. And even though rumors of him being traded from the Bucks have been swirling for a while now, it’s hard for us to see him in another team’s colors!
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Debate
From benchwarmer to champion—Is Khris Middleton the most underrated player in the NBA today?
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From benchwarmer to champion—Is Khris Middleton the most underrated player in the NBA today?
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