By Jimmy Carlton Sportswriter Published Jul 07, 2017 at 3:31 PM

Last September, Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension, which goes into effect as of this season and keeps the rising NBA superstar and Milwaukee fan favorite with the Bucks until he’s 26. But, with reports and rumors floating around the league that the clock has started ticking toward Antetokounmpo’s (still far off) unrestricted free agency in 2021 – especially in the wake of the organization’s recent front office upheaval – some wondered about the Greek Freak’s future, and desire to stay, in Milwaukee.

Well, Antetokounmpo ostensibly addressed those rumblings with a succinct tweet Thursday night that, in quoting rapper Kendrick Lamar’s hit single "DNA," surely was music to Bucks’ fans ears.

While other NBA teams will undoubtedly circle around Antetokounmpo, who had a breakout season in 2016-17, and perhaps try to lure him away from Milwaukee (why wouldn't they?), the beloved Bucks franchise player doesn’t sound like he’s in any hurry to leave Brew City, even in a few years. I mean, come on, he used a buck emoji!

Antetokounmpo, who was an All-Star starter and named to the All-NBA Second Team last season, won the league’s Most Improved Player award after averaging career bests – and team highs – in points (22.9), rebounds (8.8), assists (5.4), blocks (1.9) and steals (1.6), becoming the first player in history to rank in the top-20 for totals in each of those categories. Signaling his increasing national stature, Antetokounmpo recently jumped to No. 8 on the NBA’s Most Popular Jersey list.

From tweeting about loving smoothies and America three years ago to quoting Kendrick, Giannis has come a long way on Twitter and the basketball court, and remains as fun, fascinating and endearing as ever.

Jimmy Carlton Sportswriter

Born in Milwaukee but a product of Shorewood High School (go ‘Hounds!) and Northwestern University (go ‘Cats!), Jimmy never knew the schoolboy bliss of cheering for a winning football, basketball or baseball team. So he ditched being a fan in order to cover sports professionally - occasionally objectively, always passionately. He's lived in Chicago, New York and Dallas, but now resides again in his beloved Brew City and is an ardent attacker of the notorious Milwaukee Inferiority Complex.

After interning at print publications like Birds and Blooms (official motto: "America's #1 backyard birding and gardening magazine!"), Sports Illustrated (unofficial motto: "Subscribe and save up to 90% off the cover price!") and The Dallas Morning News (a newspaper!), Jimmy worked for web outlets like CBSSports.com, where he was a Packers beat reporter, and FOX Sports Wisconsin, where he managed digital content. He's a proponent and frequent user of em dashes, parenthetical asides, descriptive appositives and, really, anything that makes his sentences longer and more needlessly complex.

Jimmy appreciates references to late '90s Brewers and Bucks players and is the curator of the unofficial John Jaha Hall of Fame. He also enjoys running, biking and soccer, but isn't too annoying about them. He writes about sports - both mainstream and unconventional - and non-sports, including history, music, food, art and even golf (just kidding!), and welcomes reader suggestions for off-the-beaten-path story ideas.