UPDATED 1/18, 6:45 p.m. ET: Even though the Newport Beach Police Department has closed its investigation into allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl involving Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey, the NBA is continuing its review, as reported by TMZ.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN's Malika Andrews in December 2023 that the league would "take a backseat" until the conclusion of a police investigation before taking action. Silver also said the NBA does not suspend a player over an allegation, which is why Giddey was allowed to continue playing in games.
"I'm not going to say never ever, but I think this is the path we’ve consistently followed in the past," Silver explained. "That's where things currently stand."
Now, the ball is in the NBA's court.
See original story below.
Josh Giddey will not face charges over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.
A source at the Newport Beach Police Department told TMZ that the case is officially closed after officials found no evidence to corroborate the claims against the 21-year-old guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The outlet's reporting suggests that there were no individuals willing to speak on the matter, leaving Giddey in the clear.
Allegations against the rising Australian basketball star were made last November after photos of him with an alleged minor surfaced online. The caption reportedly included, “Just fucked Josh Giddey.” Although Oklahoma’s age of consent is 16, it’s unknown how old the girl was at the time the photo was taken.
In December, NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained on NBA Today why Giddey was not suspended from playing, saying, “I can’t think of many circumstances where we’ve suspended a player based on an allegation alone.”
“I’m not going to say never, but I think this is the path we’ve consistently followed in the past," Silver added. “In this case, so we have an allegation and then you have a police investigation and then a parallel league investigation. I also add that, where there is a criminal investigation, we take a back seat… that impacts how the players and players association can work with us because of course the player needs to protect his rights."
