Aussie young gun Josh Giddey’s 13-year NBA first

Aussie young gun Josh Giddey has won over many American pundits in his first NBA season and now he’s got an award to prove it.

America is obsessed with Aussie youngster Josh Giddey. Picture: Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images

Aussie young gun Josh Giddey has become just the second player in Oklahoma City Thunder history to be named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie Of The Month.

The 19-year-old guard, selected with the sixth pick of the 2021 draft, has enjoyed a stellar start to his NBA career.

After 20 games, he leads the league’s rookies in assists and his Thunder teammates in rebounds.

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In his 18th game, Giddey became just the third teenager in NBA history — after LeBron James and LaMelo Ball — to tally at least 100 assists and 100 rebounds in his first 20 games.

Josh Giddey couldn’t have hoped for a better start to his NBA career. Picture: Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images

The former Adelaide 36er was particularly influential in the absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander last month.

While his fellow guard rode the pine with an ankle injury, Giddey proved he was able to steer the ship alone, averaging 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence.

Giddey now joins Russell Westbrook (2008/09) as one of only two Thunder players to be named Rookie Of The Month. He is the only Aussie to achieve the feat since Ben Simmons in the 2017/18 season.

A bout of the flu forced Giddey out of clashes with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies this week.

In his absence, the Thunder struggled to contain a late surge from the Rockets and eventually went down by four points.

The Grizzlies clash looks as if it will be much less close, with the Thunder trailing by 51 points heading into the final quarter.

Originally published as Aussie young gun Josh Giddey’s 13-year NBA first