NBA ends probe of Josh Giddey’s alleged relationship with a minor

The NBA’s investigation into Australian basketball star Josh Giddey, following allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl, is over. See what they’ve decided.

The NBA has cleared Australian basketball star Josh Giddey of any wrongdoing over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl, four months after police decided not to press charges.

The league’s decision to end its probe without sanctioning the Oklahoma City Thunder guard closes the book on a saga that dogged him throughout the season, with an emotional Giddey admitting earlier this week there were times he did not “feel like getting out of bed”.

The Newport Beach Police Department announced in January that it had been “unable to corroborate any criminal activity” involving the 21-year-old after investigating photos and videos that were circulating widely on social media.

The NBA had also been probing the allegations, and ESPN reported on Thursday (local time) that its investigation had come “to a similar conclusion” to the Californian detectives.

Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey said there were times he did not “feel like getting out of bed” during a difficult season. Picture: Ezra Shaw (Getty Images)

A spokesman for the NBA did not immediately respond when asked about the decision.

It was revealed last year that Giddey was 19 at the time of the alleged encounter and believed the girl was also 19. He then learned that she was still a 15-year-old high school student and ended the brief relationship.

But the teenager and her family declined to speak to detectives about the allegations, their lawyer Gloria Allred – America’s most famous women’s rights lawyer – told this masthead.

Amid the fallout, Giddey lost his sponsorship deal to promote Weet-Bix, while he struggled to find form on the court and was relentlessly booed by fans during games on the road.

One of the images of Josh Giddey and the teenage girl that circulated on social media last year. Picture: X

He consistently refused to speak about the allegations during the season.

But after the Thunder were knocked out of the playoffs, in a series in which Giddey lost his starting spot for the first time in his three-year NBA career, he became emotional as he reflected on the year.

“This was probably the biggest challenge I’ve ever gone through for a number of reasons obviously,” Giddey told reporters earlier this week.

“There’s been days where you don’t feel like getting out of bed for a number of reasons … I’m just lucky to have people around me that care, that were there for me. Coming in the gym every day, seeing my teammates, that helps.”

Giddey is now set to spearhead the Australian Boomers in their pursuit of a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

But he is also facing the possibility of being traded by Oklahoma City, the team that drafted the Melbourne-born athlete in 2021.

“This is home away from home,” he said this week.

“I love everything about this place — the city, the fans, the organisation top to bottom.”

Originally published as NBA ends probe of Josh Giddey’s alleged relationship with a minor