Khris Middleton took Aaron Nesmith under his wing. Now they are battling in NBA playoffs

Early in the third quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday night, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton got the ball on the right wing and immediately sized up the Indiana Pacers' Aaron Nesmith.

Middleton took a couple of hard dribbles to get into the paint. Then, like the crafty veteran he is, Middleton rammed his right shoulder into Nesmith's chest to create the space for one of Middleton's picture-perfect midrange jumpers.

Nesmith got his revenge at the end of the quarter. He didn't let a couple of well-placed forearm blows keep him from blocking Middleton's jumper. Nesmith punctuated the play with a little trash talk as the buzzer sounded.

Over the first two games of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round series, Middleton and Nesmith have shadowed each other all over the court, jostling for position and, yes, engaging in some spirited banter.

In the hothouse of playoff basketball, those incidents could cause tempers to ignite. But there is too much history and respect between the 32-year-old Middleton and the eight-years-younger Nesmith for that to happen.

“It’s hard to put into words," Nesmith said after Game 2. "I’ve looked up to him for such a long time growing up. To be able to compete against him at the highest level, it’s such a great moment.

"I’ll remember this moment forever and my family will. So it’s great.”

More: Khris Middleton stays grounded in hometown Charleston roots as he looks to add to Milwaukee Bucks legacy

Aaron Nesmith and Khris Middleton played at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston

John Pearson was sitting in the first row at Fiserv Forum hours before Game 2. He coached Middleton and Nesmith at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, and couldn't quite believe what he was about to witness.

"You want both of them to win, you know it can’t happen," Pearson said. "But coming from a school like ours, both of them reaching the highest level of basketball and now them meeting in the playoffs against each other, I honestly can’t believe it. I’m still pinching myself."

Pearson's mind flashed back to a summer two years ago, when both players were back home. Middleton was an established star with the Bucks, while Nesmith was trying to find playing time with the loaded Boston Celtics.

“They worked out and then they played a game of one-on-one," Pearson said. "And it was some of the most high-level shot-making my gym had ever seen. It was so fun to watch that. They both have come a long way. They both are doing really well. I’m just as proud as can be.”

That was nothing new for Middleton and Nesmith. Since Nesmith was a teenager, Middleton has been dispensing advice and serving buckets during workouts with the younger player.

"Teaching me the little things," Nesmith said. "Teaching me what it means to be a professional. I can’t tell you everything he’s taught me.”

That makes Pearson beam with pride.

"When Khris comes back to Porter-Gaud, that’s a part of our culture that’s irreplaceable," Pearson said. "For him to come back and spend time with the kids … and he spent time with Aaron when Aaron was going through his workouts and trying to become a pro.

"He spent time with Aaron, trying to make him better. Occasionally, they go at it. It’s great to see."

Middleton and Nesmith both worked their ways into bigger roles

Middleton and Nesmith weren't big-name recruits at Porter-Gaud. They were also raw-but-intriguing prospects when they came into the NBA. Middleton was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Pistons in 2012 and traded to the Bucks the next year. Nesmith was the 14th pick in the 2020 draft by the Celtics, but his career has blossomed since being traded to the Pacers in 2022.

"Khris started off in Detroit in a defensive role," Nesmith said. "He was able to expand that to what he’s doing right now with Milwaukee.

"Aaron is basically the same thing. He was a rookie, had to learn the ropes. Wanted more to do. The Celtics already had some guys in front of him. He’s able to come over to Indiana with an expanded role. I think he's flourishing. He’s doing well, and he’s got more to give.”

Those hours in humid gyms in South Carolina are paying off.

"All the summers that we spent together," Middleton remembered. "All the conversations that we’ve had about just playoff basketball and whatnot. It’s just fun to compete at a high stage with somebody that you’ve known since you were a kid."

Nesmith racked up 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds in Game 2. He also earned some new respect from the player he has admired for so long.

“I’m proud to see him on this stage," Middleton said. "Competing. Playing well, unfortunately, against us right now.

"This is what it’s about. Being a mentor at times. Going against somebody you’ve known for half your life. Proud of him. Want him to play well. Just not against us.”

The Journal Sentinel's Jim Owczarski contributed to this report

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks' Khris Middleton a mentor to Pacers' Aaron Nesmith from hometown