Bucks' Khris Middleton: Ankle Injury Rehab the 'Hardest,' Had to Avoid 'Dark Tunnel'

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who has missed the entire season as he recovers from offseason arthroscopic surgeries on both ankles, spoke about the physical and mental challenges and tolls of the rehab process.

"I think this one was definitely the hardest for me, just because I had two surgeries," Middleton said Friday, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "I was trying to be balanced on both feet, and not compensate for anything because that could lead to another issue.

"So I would say this was definitely the hardest thing to come back from, to just mentally, physically feel fine, feel fit, feel ready, feel confident in everything I have to do out there."

Middleton spoke about avoiding the trap of falling into a "dark tunnel" during rehab and doing his best to put himself in a "good spot" mentally for the return.

"Just not trying to get into a dark tunnel," Middleton said after being asked about his rehab approach, per Bontemps.

"Having as many surgeries as I have, 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 this is a long, grueling season. I'm going to go through a lot of 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."

The three-time All-Star has played 12 NBA seasons. The 33-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds last year.

Middleton has dealt with an assortment of ailments in the past and especially in recent years. An MCL sprain suffered in the first round of the 2022 playoffs sidelined him for the remainder of the playoffs.

During the summer of 2022, Middleton underwent surgery for a torn ligament in his left wrist, and he missed the first 20 games of the 2022-23 season. Right knee soreness also kept Middleton out for 18 straight games from Dec. 17-Jan. 21.

Last season, Middleton missed 16 straight games with a left ankle sprain.

So Middleton has dealt with plenty of adversity over the past few years as he cycles between rehabbing and playing, with the current absence being the latest example.

Thankfully, Middleton is back in the mix as he makes his 2024-25 season debut Friday at the Boston Celtics after sitting 21 games. He rejoins a Bucks team that started 2-8 but has since rebounded to 11-10 as it surges up the standings. Friday also marks a big game for Milwaukee against the defending champion C's, who are 18-4 this year. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.