Report: Josh Giddey’s family believes he was set up

Josh Giddey’s family believes that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard was set up amid allegations that he’s been involved in an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

”Sources close to the star’s family say they believe he has been ‘stitched up’ after claims the 21-year old had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl first surfaced on social media,” wrote Wayne Flower of the Daily Mail.

The allegations originally emerged on X, where a user posted pictures and videos of Giddey, 21, with a supposed high school junior.

“This kind of situation would be very trying for a family that is pretty normal other than having a 21-year old multi-millionaire son playing in the NBA,” a source said.

“They are the most down-to-earth people you could meet. They’re very humble. Josh is a good kid and knowing the family, I thought there’s something more to this because he’s not like that. The consensus is he’s been royally stitched up.”

The NBA and police department in Newport Beach, Calif. are both actively investigating the matter. If the allegations against Giddey are ultimately proven to be true, the Thunder guard could face legal consequences as well as discipline from the NBA.

“The source said no-one who knows Giddey believed he would ever knowingly engage in an inappropriate relationship,” wrote Flower.

Giddey, who is in the midst of his third season in the NBA, was recently asked about the situation by media members, but he declined to comment. Meanwhile, he remains eligible to play and he has continued to suit up for Oklahoma City since the allegations surfaced.

The 21-year-old has started in all 17 games that the Thunder have played so far this season, and he’s averaging 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 27.2 minutes per performance.

While this situation could potentially serve as a distraction, things have been going very well for Oklahoma City so far this season. It currently sits at 11-6, which is good for fourth in the extremely competitive Western Conference. The Thunder have won seven of their last 10, and though it’s still early in the season, they certainly look like a team that could make a legitimate run at the postseason. The Thunder haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.

In addition to Giddey, the Thunder have a couple of other young players that have shown a lot of potential. After being named to his first All-Star team last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has continued his ascent this season. He’s currently fifth in the NBA with an average of 30.5 points per game, and he’s also adding a career-high 6.1 assists per performance.

Similarly, 2022 lottery pick Chet Holmgren is having an extremely impressive rookie campaign. The big man is averaging 17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, and if he can continue his high level of production, he’ll have a legitimate a shot at winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award.

The Thunder will look to continue their strong start to the season when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at Paycom Center on Thursday night.