For 11 and a half seasons, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were the rocks for the Milwaukee Bucks. Their relationship was so strong that the latter was called “Giannis whisperer,” someone who could deliver hard truths to the two-time MVP. But there was someone else, too, in the building who motivated the Greek Freak to cross any hurdles.

“I’ve never spoken about it, like one of the biggest motivators in my career,” Antetokounmpo said during his sit-down interview with former Bucks broadcaster Jim Paschke. “One of my favorite teammate also Jabari Parker. Now I was able to kind of measure myself against him. Right, he was the number two pick, and he will be an All-Star; he’ll be MVP.

“And every single day I said, ‘Okay, if he works one hour, I’ll work 1½. If he works two hours, I will work 2½. Every single day. That was one of the guys that, until today, I’ve never told him this, but he motivated me so much to be better because he was so damn good. So damn good.”

Unlike Middleton, who spent more than a decade together with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the stint with Parker was quite less. They were drafted in consecutive years, and being the #2 pick, Parker had all the hype. But injuries derailed those plans, and they were teammates for four seasons from 2014 to 2018. But even today, their relationship remains strong.

Last season, Jabari Parker played for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, but it was uneventful. He had missed games due to personal reasons and injuries. In fact, Partizan’s coach admitted that Parker is out of shape. Yet earlier this February, Giannis Antetokounmpo only had positive things to say about his former teammate.

“He’s one of the guys that I enjoyed playing with,” Giannis said during All-Star media day. “He’s one of the people that I have incredible love for. I think he’s grown as a player, he’s grown as a person, because he’s a guy, a player that went through a lot, not just in life, but in the basketball world. I know he’s very thoughtful in every decision that he makes, so whatever decision that he decides moving forward, I think it will be the right one for him.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo saw Parker battle injuries through and knew the hard work he put in during their time together. By calling it his favorite moment, by no means is he disrespecting any other player, including Khris Middleton. The two-time MVP even admitted that it was “weird” for him after Middleton was traded. “Because I’ve never played an NBA game in my career without him. It was kind of weird.”

Last season, the 34-year-old divided his time between the Wizards and then the Mavericks. In fact, in Dallas, he started 16 games and shot 40% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. That’s why he is one of the players that the Heat are thinking about reuniting with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton fits through the veteran minimum. Plus, his experience of winning a championship can bolster the new-look Miami roster.

A reunion with Middleton remains purely speculative for now. But if Antetokounmpo’s recent comments are any indication, the bonds he built in Milwaukee still carry as much meaning to him as the accomplishments they shared on the court.