James Khristian Middleton (born August 12, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a three-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021. Middleton attended high school at the Porter-Gaud School in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. He played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies from 2009 to 2012. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors after leading the Aggies in scoring with 14.3 points per game during his sophomore season. Middleton declared for the 2012 NBA draft after his junior season and was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 39th overall pick. He saw limited action with the Pistons and spent time with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League during his rookie season. Middleton was traded to Milwaukee in 2013 and became an immediate contributor to the team. He received his first All-Star selection in 2019. In 2021, Middleton helped lead the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. The same summer, he won a gold medal at the Olympics. Early life and high school Middleton was born on August 12, 1991 in Charleston, South Carolina to James and Nichelle Middleton. He has one older sister named Brittney, and his cousin, Josh Powell, has played in the NBA. Another cousin, Kenny Manigault, played basketball for Wichita State University and was teammates with Middleton on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team Carolina Celtics. Two other teammates on the Carolina Celtics accepted Division I basketball scholarships, Jamal Curry (Radford) and Devin Booker (Clemson). Middleton attended Porter-Gaud School and played basketball for the Cyclones under coach John Pearson. As a sophomore, he averaged 12 points and eight rebounds per game. In his junior season, Middleton posted averages of 21 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and was named state player of the year. He repeated as player of the year as a senior, scoring 22.4 points per game and grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game in leading Porter-Gaud to the state title game. Middleton was named Most Valuable Player of the Porter-Gaud Holiday Classic, scoring 22 points in the championship. He was nominated for the 2009 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, but was not selected to participate. ESPN ranked him the 64th best prospect in the Class of 2009, and noted he was the best shooter at his position. Middleton was