Sports
What we know as NBA looks into Josh Giddey situation – USA TODAY
As the NBA began looking into anonymous claims made on social media that alleged Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an inappropriate relationship with an underage female, Giddey practiced Friday and played in the Thunder’s game Saturday.
He is also expected to play in Oklahoma City’s game Tuesday at Minnesota.
Giddey and the Thunder addressed the situation without saying much.
The Thunder are 11-5, winners of eight of their past 10 games and in second place in the Western Conference ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the first-place Timberwolves.
Here is what we know about the Giddey situation:
The social media posts show a man who appears to be Giddey with a female in photos and video, but it is unclear when or where they were taken. The person who originally posted the images deleted them, but not before they were saved by others. The images began showing up on social media channels as the Thanksgiving weekend began, and the league responded on Friday.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault was asked about Giddey’s status before Saturday’s loss to the Sixers and said, “Available to play. Will play. No change in status from a basketball standpoint. Still, I have no comment on anything else.”
He added, “it’s obviously a league matter at this point.”
The Thunder made Giddey available to the media at Friday’s practice, and he declined to address what appeared on social media.
“I understand the question obviously, but there’s no comment right now,” Giddey said.
He had 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the Thunder’s 127-123 loss to Philadelphia Saturday.
The NBA confirmed it is looking into the allegations, but it generally does not give incremental updates in these types of situations. The league will do its due diligence and is deliberate about its process. In legal matters, the NBA normally waits until there’s resolution in the court system before it issues punishment. One example was suspending Miles Bridges after he pled no contest to a domestic violence charge. If there are no criminal or legal issues, such as the Ja Morant gun incidents, the league will decide on the matter when its investigation is complete.
Giddey, 21, is a third-year guard for the Thunder and was the No. 6 pick in the 2021 draft. He made the All-Rookie second-team in 2021-22 and has emerged as one of the game’s top do-everything young players. This season, he averages 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists and shoots 42.9% from the field and 30% on three-pointers – all slightly lower statistics than he posted last season.
But the Thunder are winning, and with Giddey alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has one of the most dangerous backcourts in the league.
Giddey was born in Melbourne, Australia, and participated in the NBA’s Global Academy before playing for Adelaide in Australia’s pro league.