Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey will not face charges in the police investigation into claims he had an improper relationship with an underage girl.
TMZ Sports says Newport Beach Police Department have closed the case due to police finding no corroborating evidence.
The 21-year-old Giddey had continued to play for the Thunder throughout the investigation, including 19 minutes in Tuesday night’s loss to the Clippers.
But he had been repeatedly booed and taunted by fans of opposing teams ever since the allegations surfaced in November.
In December, it was reported that the teenage girl at the center of the claims was refusing to cooperate with police as they looked into the case.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey will not face charges amid improper relationship claims
Photos and videos appeared on social media showing Giddey with the underage girl but, according to reports in his native Australia, the incident happened two years ago.
The Thunder guard believed the teen was 19 when they met at a nightclub in 2021.
And after discovering she was in fact under 18 the next day, Giddey is said to have broken off the relationship.
The New York Post claim to have identified the Oklahoma City nightclub where Giddey was filmed with the teen, stating that the establishment has an over-18 policy.
In a video that was leaked online, Giddey addressed a camera held by an unnamed person.
‘What’s up my man?’ Giddey says in the clip. ‘We’re at the front of the club, me and my girl, about to head back to mine.’
Giddey was asked about the accusations when they first emerged at a team practice session but refused to open up about the claims made against him.
‘Yeah, I mean I understand the question obviously,’ Giddey told the reporter. ‘But there’s no further comment right now.’
Giddey continued to play for the Thunder since the allegations surfaced, with Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also facing questions over the accusations.
‘Just with the information we have at this point, that’s the decision that we’ve made (to keep playing him),’ Daigneault said. ‘It’s really not even a decision, to be honest with you. It’s obviously a league matter at this point so the ball’s in their court on that.’
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in December that Giddey would not be suspended purely due to an allegation.
‘I can’t think of many circumstances where we’ve suspended a player based on an allegation alone,’ Silver said on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today‘.
‘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.
‘I’m not going to say never ever, but I think this is the path we’ve consistently followed in the past.’
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