Meet basketball star Josh Giddey, the Yarraville boy who became an overnight millionaire
Josh Giddey’s NBA career has only just begun and he is already predicted to become one of the biggest names in Aussie sport, but the 20-year-old is determined not to let the money or fame change him.
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It’s the $20,000 watch that gives it away. As Josh Giddey walks among starry-eyed kids at a training camp in Melbourne’s southeast, you could be forgiven for thinking he was just another helping hand at a school holiday camp.
Dressed top to bottom in the a grey track suit and bright basketball shoes bearing the brand of his sponsor Nike, he moves casually but confidently among kids gathered at the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South on a frosty morning.
Despite his obvious height, there is nothing flash or flamboyant about the young man offering words of encouragement and casting a watchful eye over lay-up drills completed by young fans of the game he loves.
Except, of course, the luxury Rolex Datejust 41 timepiece strapped to the left wrist of a hand fast becoming among the best known in one of the world’s most rich and famous sporting leagues.
At just 20-years-old, Melbourne born-and-bred Giddey is one of the brightest and best remunerated sporting heroes Australia has produced. But things are just getting started.
After a second successful season for US NBA team Oklahoma City Thunder, Giddey is half way through a four-year, $41.6 million contract.
If his career so far – already stuffed with stats previously associated with the likes of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and modern superstars such as Luka Donkic – continues its trajectory he will pocket at least $17 million for the 2024-25 season alone – likely a whole lot more.
It is the sort of stuff most people only dream of, and all at an age he is not even allowed to legally drink alcohol in the US.
His ability to run the floor at a height of 2.03m, pass and shoot the ball better than most and read the game better than a lot last year allowed him to buy his mum Kim a BMW for her birthday.
He bought himself a BMW M8 Competition Coupe too, adding to the Chevrolet Corvette C8 in his garage.
But while the cash, hype and fanfare headed his way are only warming up, this down-to-earth talent is determined to stay true to his roots – while enjoying some of the nicer things in life along the way.
He is adamant it is not all about the money and, in an exclusive and expansive interview, he revealed the spotlight that now follows his every move sits uncomfortably with a young man who thrives on hard work ethic and is determined to remain grounded.
Dressed casually, in size 13 shoes – one less than what he wears on court – Giddey admits getting home to Australia after an 82-game regular season that could extend to playoffs and finals keeps his sizeable feet on the ground.
“It’s great to be back,’’ he says, “to see my friends and family. I don’t get to come back too often so it’s always good. It’s great to come back to not just Melbourne but Australia generally – Sydney, Adelaide – it’s always good to be back home.’’
Asked about the Hollywood-style gesture of buying his mum a prestige vehicle, Giddey sits back in his seat and smiles while reflecting on the joy he got out of his repaying her for countless hours serving as his personal junior taxi service.
“She was excited,’’ he says. “She loved it … growing up I always wanted to be in a position where I could take care of my family, especially my parents.
“Whether that was from basketball or anything. Fortunately I can do that and it was a nice thing to be able to do.
“It was just a small gesture to say thanks and I owe her a lot more than just a car. But it was just a way of saying thanks for everything.’’
The guard who grew up in Yarraville in Melbourne’s west and played for Adelaide in Australia’s NBL became an instant millionaire when he was drafted sixth in the 2021 NBA Draft to OKC.
When his current contract expires, he stands to become one of the richest athletes in Australian history, with a “max contract’’ likely to earn him an eye watering $US80 million or more.
Despite pocketing the sort of cash most people can only dream of, Giddey reckons critics of the sort of money he is paid aren’t seeing the whole picture.
“It’s not what it is all about,’’ he says. “The NBA is obviously very popular not just in America but worldwide. It’s got millions of fans that watch it every night and obviously generates money. But the money is not everything, there is a lot of pressure, you are constantly in the spotlight of the media and the public.
“If you go out – people are watching you. It’s hard to live.’’
While the harshest critics might question such sentiment, it’s what Giddey says next that creates genuine reason to pause and reflect on the pressure fame and fortune might cause at such a young age.
“I would do anything to go back five years ago when nobody knew who was and I could go out and about and do what I wanted,’’ he says.
“But now that there is more of a spotlight on you in the public eye you’ve got to be careful what you do. Everything that you do is being watched.
“So, there are definitely a lot of benefits to it, but there is a downside to it as well where everything that you do is being seen and you need to be cautious and careful about what you’re doing, how you’re acting and who you are interacting with.
“The money definitely helps – I won’t lie – but there is more to it.’’
The kids hanging on his every word at the coaching clinic run in conjunction with Giddey’s dad Warwick, a two time NBL champion, don’t care about the cash.
He appears at ease addressing kids dressed in singlets bearing the names of everything from the Eltham Wildcats to Steph Curry’s Golden State Warrior’s and Giddey’s own No. 3 for OKC.
About 270 kids queue for his autograph at the training camp, hassling for a high five or word of wisdom.
Many of them slipped into seats with their mums and dads at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena as Giddey suited up for Australia in a pre-FIBA World Cup last week, ushering in a new era of basketball heroes.
Giddey’s agent Daniel Moldovan has known the young star since he was 14.
“He hasn’t changed one bit from the cheeky, jovial, very laid back, light hearted kid,’’ he says. “He’s just the same kid from Yarraville and I believe that, no matter how many years he has in his NBA career, no matter how much money in the bank, I just can’t see him ever changing.
“He’s so comfortable in his own skin and very confident in what he does. Nothing about the NBA lifestyle has phased him.’’
In the US, Giddey lives a life of private jets, personal chefs and parades designer threads for the cameras before matches watched globally by millions.
Yet Moldovan said Giddey was more comfortable in tracksuit pants, even though he was slowly upping his style stakes.
Giddey has a career ahead of him that his agent predicts will be “generational and one of the biggest names in all of Australian sport’’.
“Literally since he was a 17 years old he has just been scared of nothing and nobody and he does not get nervous,’’ Moldovan says. “It’s a trait I do not think I’ve ever seen in an athlete that I’ve represented … with Josh it’s not an act or a facade.
“He’s genuinely not daunted by any stage. No matter how bright the spotlight might be it’s almost like the bigger the stage, the brighter the spotlight the brighter he shines and the better he plays.’’
Giddey, floppy hair slicked back in trademark style, doesn’t intend to have much of a holiday this off-season.
A typical off-season day involves lifting weights, at least two shooting sessions, swimming or strength work.
Though he doesn’t keep track of the number of shots he gets up, Giddey estimates he shoots between 500 and 1000 shots every day. And that is while he is on holiday.
When V Weekend meets Giddey, he is enjoying the company of several childhood friends at a plush Brighton home arranged for him by agent Moldovan.
As a pal with a P-plated car parked outside relaxes in a heated pool and another lazes on a plush couch, Giddey laughs out loud at the suggestion it’s like a scene from US comedy-drama Entourage.
“He’s Johnny Drama for sure and he’s Turtle,’’ he points at his friends, referencing the fictitious stars of the hit drama based on Hollywood excess.
Playing along with the theme, Giddey points out that one of those childhood friends will be joining him the next day as he jets to Las Vegas to take a look at the NBA Summer League.
Giddey, who attended Wembley Primary School and St Kevins before becoming a big deal in basketball, said he lives by the old cliche, there is always someone else working harder.
“I guess it is true in a way,’’ he said. “I was running a kids camp the other day and saying to the kids there are 450 spots in the NBA and millions of people trying to get into the NBA.
“It’s like, someone is working to try and take your job – people in the NBA have guys nipping at your heels trying to get into the league and take your spot.
“If you take a day off … that can happen so you can’t get complacent. That is something I have stuck with.’’
Sports scientist and former Adelaide 36ers head of high performance Nik Popovic says while Giddey’s skills got him to the NBA, it was the work he did behind the scenes that would take him to the next level.
“You watch him play – he’s got unbelievable vision, he’s got unbelievable passing ability,’’ he says.
“‘He’s got all those skills but if we can make him stronger, faster and more explosive – you’re going to get to spots sooner and have more time.
“It’s like slowing the game down because you’re physically able to get into positions you want sooner because your body allows you to.’’
Helping Giddey work out regularly since he returned to Australia, Popovic says over nine days he saw his star student smash at least 14 sessions on court, in the weight room, plus mobility work and pools sessions. And that was only what he had seen.
“It’s the complete package,’’ he says.
As Giddey speaks of his passion for basketball and dreams of winning NBA championships, MVP awards and Olympic and World Cup Gold with Australia, the tinge of an American accent is clear.
“I get told it all the time,’’ he said. “You pick it up naturally and I think it’s because Americans don’t really understand Australians.
“Our accent is so strong that you’ve got to repeat yourself so actually putting on a little American accent for them helps them understand. For some reason it has stuck around a bit.’’
Something as simple as ordering a coffee can lead to confusion for the tall Aussie now calling the US home.
“The word vanilla – they don’t understand what I’m saying – so I’ve got to be pretty specific.’’
Giddey’s rise without controversy is the polar opposite of Melbourne’s other big basketball export Ben Simmons – the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft who entered the league with huge hype but has, despite making two All star teams and winning rookie of the year, so far failed to live up to those expectations.
Living his dream in a world of huge egos and pay packets, Giddey says the key to staying grounded in such a cut throat and high stakes environment is surrounding himself with family and friends he knows and trusts.
“Coming back home, seeing my friends, – this is where I grew up and played all my basketball as a kid,’’ he says.
‘It’s always good coming back because you get to see where you started and remember that – although you’re in the NBA now and there are a lot of things that come with it – I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people you grew up with.
“‘I guess that keeps me grounded. I’ve got the right people around me in my circle but remembering how you got there and who got you there does keep you grounded.’’
Giddey’s basketball pedigree doesn’t just come from his dad. His mum Kim, originally from Morwell, played for Vic Country, leading the scoring at Australian junior championships in under 16s and 18s.
Josh started dribbling a basketball in the driveway of his childhood home aged three. By the age of four his parents had to drag him out of basketball stadiums.
Proud dad Warwick gives his son a backhanded compliment when asked about his meteoric rise.
“It gives every white, slow, unathletic kid a chance,’’ he says. “They can say, ‘well, if he can do it, I can clearly get there’. I’m sure he will be an inspiration for a lot of unathletic kids who base their games more on IQ and passing and doing the things that he does.’’
But the Melbourne Tigers great said it was no mistake his son, who went unpicked in Victoria’s under 16’s squad and missed the first cut of the state under 18s squad, was making it in the NBA.
“He’s always handled setbacks by working harder, not taking them as badly as some people in life,’’ he says.
“He gets on with the job, doesn’t whinge about things and soldiers on. “There is a real competitiveness and will to succeed irrespective of the knock-backs.’’
Aussie basketball royalty Andrew Gaze, who played alongside Giddey’s dad for the Melbourne Tigers in the 1990s, says the good news for sports fans is Giddey Jnr will get even better.
“Each year he is in the NBA he is getting used to the style of play, the rigours of the season – all those things,’’ he says.
“He’s picked it up really well and he’s already at a very, very high level but it’s those next levels that he will eventually get to that are often the hardest to make.
“He’s relatively humble, albeit he’s been thrust into the limelight and handled it very well, which is also part of the challenge with scrutiny and attention really tests a young man.
“But he understands that the minute your attention diverts and you’re not dedicating yourself to the game, then things can drop off pretty quickly.’’
Giddey, though, declares we need not worry: “Basketball is always the priority.’’■
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