Adelaide 36er Josh Giddey ready to ‘take the leap’ after officially nominating for the 2021 NBA Draft

Adelaide 36ers teenage sensation Josh Giddey has taken the NBL by storm in his debut year – now, he’s set his sights on the NBA.

Josh Giddey has rewritten the NBL’s record books. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Josh Giddey credits “frequent” conversations with Australian NBA star Joe Ingles for helping him mentally prepare to follow Ingles’ path from the NBL to the world’s best basketball league.

Giddey has rewritten the record books with the Adelaide 36ers this season – now he is ready to “take the leap” to the NBA after officially nominating for the 2021 draft.

The 18-year-old sensation is the No 13 prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 NBA draft rankings and could climb higher in the lottery.

Giddey will now fittingly look to emulate his hero Ingles - who reached the NBA after starting his career in Australia with the now defunct South Dragons in 2006.

The Utah Jazz swingman also claimed the NBL rookie of the year award with the Dragons after scoring the most points on debut for an Australian with 29.

Giddey has achieved similar success to Ingles in his maiden season with Adelaide as he aims to match his idol’s journey to the benchmark basketball league.

“Joe and I have a pretty good relationship - he has been very good to me,” Giddey said.

“We speak pretty often, so he has been big for me this season. We talk pretty frequently, just giving me tips and stuff.

“Because he has been through the same pathway that I’ve been through. He was in the NBL when he was a teenager.

“So, he understands where I’m coming from and can relate to what I’m going through because he has been in my shoes.”

Giddey has played 23 games for the 36ers in his debut NBL season, averaging 11 points and seven rebounds per game to complement an NBL-best average of 7.43 assists.

Earlier this week became the youngest NBL player in history to record a “triple double”, with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the New Zealand Breakers, and is strong favourite to secure the NBL Rookie of the Year award at season’s end.

He has also recorded the most assists by a local player in their first NBL season with 171 dimes thus far.

Josh Giddey is NBA bound after nominating for the 2021 draft. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

Giddey has vowed to finish the NBL season with Adelaide before shifting his focus to the NBA draft, which would see him become an instant millionaire like fellow Aussie Josh Green, who will make $AU3.6 million with Dallas this season as a first-round draft pick.

Of course, more cash in the bank is hugely advantageous, but the Melbourne-born teen has his sights set on goals bigger than dollars.

“It is more than the money,” he said.

“Surreal is probably the best way to describe it because 12 months ago if I said I was going to be in this position people would have laughed and thought I was crazy.

“So, for me to be where I am today is pretty special. It still doesn’t feel real to be in this position.

“Whether I go No.1 or No.30, just to be in the NBA has been a dream of mine for a long time.

“Regardless of where I get drafted, I’m going to give it my all and everything I’ve got.”

Until then, Giddey faces a potential clash between the NBA draft on July 29 and the Tokyo Olympics, which begin on July 23 with the Opening Ceremony.

He is currently named in the Boomers’ squad for the Games, and he wants to play.

However, if Giddey is chosen in the final 12-man team for Tokyo, it would prevent him from attending the NBA draft in Brooklyn - a predicament he plans to deal with on the run.

“That is something that we’ve got to sit down and work out,” he said.

“But the pinnacle of Australian basketball is representing your country at the Olympics and it is something that I’ve dreamt of for a long-time.”

When it comes to Australia, Giddey can’t speak more highly of the nation as a proven breeding ground.

He contemplated going to US college, but deep down he knew that the NBL’s Next Stars program was his best path to the NBA.

“It was big,” he said about staying in Australia with Adelaide.

“It was a tough decision for me because I was tossing and turning whether to go to college or stay here to play.

“But I think being able to stay home in front of friends and family, play in a grown man’s league and being able to learn off veterans every day.

“I think that was going to benefit me more in the long-run and it kind of fast-tracked my development.”

Giddey is ready to take the next step in his career. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

Adelaide chairman Grant Kelley believes Giddey is blessed with the natural ability and work ethic to succeed at the highest level.

“I first met Josh just over a year ago and was extraordinarily impressed with his humility, presence, and maturity,” Kelley said.

“This season, Josh has also shown he is a consummate team player, with resilience and toughness, in challenging circumstances. We wish him all the best in the upcoming NBA Draft, and know he will be an asset, both on and off the court, wherever he plays.”

36ers general manager of basketball Jeff Van Groningen – the man who helped lure Andrew Bogut to the Sydney Kings from the NBA – has high hopes for Giddey’s future.

“Josh is the most talented 18-year-old the NBL has seen in a generation – and an even better young man,” Van Groningen said.

“We know he’ll represent himself, his family, the Adelaide 36ers, and our league so well on NBA Draft day, just as he has represented us so well this season.”

The 2021 NBA Draft lottery is on June 22, while the draft will take place on July 29.