Giannis Antetokounmpo Had Four Words for Ex-Teammate on Saturday

Giannis Antetokounmpo Had Four Words for Ex-Teammate on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo finds himself at the center of ongoing speculation after another disappointing season, marked by the team’s third consecutive first-round playoff exit. The Bucks have since overhauled their roster, notably waiving Damian Lillard and letting Brook Lopez walk in free agency.

Antetokounmpo also watched teammates Jrue Holiday and Middleton depart in separate deals. Holiday was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers in return for Lillard in 2023, while Middleton was traded in February to the Washington Wizards in a package for Kyle Kuzma. With Lopez also signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, Antetokounmpo stands as the lone starter remaining from Milwaukee’s 2021 championship team.

In the midst of these changes in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo made comments about Middleton while engaging with a fan on Instagram. In the exchange, the fan admitted to missing the former All-Star to which Antetokounmpo replied, “you and me both.” 

It remains unclear whether Antetokounmpo’s comment was a show of dissatisfaction with the Bucks organization for trading away Middleton or merely nostalgia for a long-time teammate with whom he shared a decade of locker room experience.

Giannis on Instagram 🥺 pic.twitter.com/1dXHCCTVZS

— BucksRealm (@BucksRealm) July 26, 2025

Antetokounmpo's comments comes amid reports linking the 2021 Finals MVP to the Jonathan Kuminga - Golden State Warriors saga. Per Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard, the Warriors are holding onto Kuminga unless they receive full trade value in hopes of maintaining flexibility of their assets in the event Antetokounmpo is ever made available.

Antetokounmpo, under contract potentially through the 2027-28 season, has reaffirmed his commitment to winning another championship in Milwaukee. However, the changes around him—and the attention from rival teams continue to ensure that the spotlight on his future won’t be fading anytime soon.

Related: Jrue Holiday's Message to Damian Lillard Surfaces After Becoming Trail Blazers Teammates

Related: Warriors Expected to Compete With Mavericks for LeBron James Under One Condition

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.