Giannis' vehement message to Knicks, NBA will fall on deaf ears

Giannis Antetokounmpo has never shied away from how much he loves Milwaukee and playing for the Bucks, and he reiterated it Tuesday night. After an emphatic block, the Greek Freak charged down the court and threw down a dunk against the New York Knicks. Amid a Bucks' comeback, Giannis let it be known that "this is my city" as the Milwaukee faithful roared.

Let's see if the NBA media talks about that. Spoiler: they won't.

Giannis rumors will persist, but Bucks must tune them out

All summer, every single talking head went on television, the radio, their podcast, or whatever else to talk about why Giannis should leave the Bucks. There was some chatter that he had some interest in playing for the New York Knicks, which certainly fueled speculation, but he silenced those rumors and made it clear he's committed to Milwaukee. Yet, the chatter persists. As it has for nearly a decade.

One of the reasons Giannis trade chatter is always there is because even if he does say how much he wants to spend his entire career in Milwaukee, he leaves the door open just a bit. Yet, in an article from ESPN's Jamal Collier, a source close to Antetokounmpo said that it is because he has "always got to hold ownership's feet to the fire." He doesn't want them to settle. They must remain all-in.

So far, they haven't given any indication that their stance has changed. This is the same team that cut Damian Lillard and willingly agreed to take on all of his dead money to sign Myles Turner. That sounds like a team that knows what's at stake. Yet, all of the chatter from that move was about how parting with Lillard, who is an aging, undersized guard who will miss the entire season, was the wrong move.

Rather than focusing on just the trade chatter, it's time to talk about the Bucks, who are 3-1 in the new year. Giannis has looked like the MVP everyone knows he can be, but the rest of the supporting cast has always looked great. Ryan Rollins just had a career-high 25 points. Myles Turner has been as good defensively as advertised. Kyle Kuzma is quietly thriving in his new role. This team looks good.

Talking heads, next time you speak on Giannis and the Bucks, be sure to include this quote (it will be conveniently left out). Instead, they will fantasize about where Giannis (probably won't) be playing this time next season.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.