Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey entered the 2023-24 season with high expectations. The guard was expected to play a big role for Oklahoma City as one of the team's exciting young players.
Giddey had a chance to step up and help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren lead the Thunder. But then a concerning report surfaced about Giddey in November.
He found himself facing allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor after videos surfaced online. The NBA investigated the situation.
Giddey continued to play amid the allegations as the Thunder waited for the NBA's investigation to end. Amid the allegations, though, Giddey was often booed by fans during road games. Newport Police ended up launching an investigation, so NBA commissioner Adam Silver opted not to issue any possible suspension until the criminal investigation was completed.
The Newport Police Department ultimately closed the Josh Giddey investigation after they were “unable to corroborate any criminal activity related to Mr. Giddey.”
Despite still being able to play, Giddey's performance declined on the floor. Fans continued to boo him on the road, and he averaged just 12.3 points per game in 2023-24 after averaging 16.6 points per outing during the 2022-23 campaign. Giddey addressed his controversial 2023-24 season after the Thunder were eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
“You don't feel like getting out of bed for a number of reasons,” Giddey said via Thunder beat reporter Addam M. Francisco. “As I said, I'm just lucky to have people around me that care. That were there for me.
“Coming in everyday, seeing my teammates, that helps. Being in the gym, working out, that definitely helps. There's a million things, but they're probably the few that help the most I guess with staying on track and drowning out outside noise.”
Josh Giddey makes an honest admission
Giddey struggled in the playoffs after seeing a decline in his regular-season performance. He even lost his spot as a starter for the last couple games of the Western Conference semifinals. His overall playing time against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals also decreased.
Giddey was asked about his playing time during his end-of-season interview, via the Oklahoma City Thunder on YouTube.
“Probably the first two games… against Dallas, I didn't play a lot, and I was not playing well,” Giddey said. “I was probably in my own head, and I wasn't being a good teammate. I just felt bad. Even after we won Game 1, I was trying to be happy, but I was also so worried internally. I couldn't fully get around the guys like I wanted to. It was a bad feeling.”
The Thunder guard knew something had to change. As a result, Giddey made a “promise” to himself.
“From that point on, I made a promise to myself that whether I play five minutes or 40 minutes, I'm going to be the best teammate I can be.”
The Thunder ultimately lost to the Mavericks in six games. Oklahoma City still has a bright future given their young core of players. Josh Giddey's future with the team is in question as trade rumors are already swirling, however.
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