By Alastair Talbot for Dailymail.Com
04:11 01 December 2023, updated 06:21 01 December 2023
- The 21-year-old Australian guard was posterized by James in the second quarter
- The teenage girl involved in the matter refuses to cooperate with the authorities
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Josh Giddey’s week may have gone from bad to worse as he was benched by LeBron James amid allegations he was involved in an inappropriate relationship despite the Thunder blowing out the Lakers 110-133.
James, 38, fell over Oklahoma City’s 21-year-old Australian guard in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game at Paycom Center, with the Thunder leading by eight points (52-60) at the time.
“LeBron with a head of steam… here comes the puck, down the court, throw ‘Bron,” one of the Lakers’ Spectrum SportsNet commentators said as the crowd went wild, showing their appreciation for the four-time. NBA champion.
Giddey, who had 14 points and nine rebounds against LA, didn’t exactly stumble when James went for the spectacular, but it was bad enough for OKC’s No. 3 to have virtually no support from his team’s fans.
The embarrassing spot comes a day after the Newport Beach, Calif., police department said its detectives are investigating allegations that the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.
In a since-deleted post, an anonymous social media user last week said a girl who appears with Giddey in sexual videos and photos was a high school student at the time. The social media account has since been deactivated.
Giddey reached what is considered “adulthood” in the US in October.
Newport Beach police said in a news release that they are “actively seeking additional information regarding these allegations and are pursuing all evidence and evidence to obtain the facts of the case.”
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Wednesday that the league’s investigation is ongoing.
“We are aware of the report regarding the investigation by the Newport Beach Police Department,” he said. “We continue to gather information.”
The teenager at the center of the inappropriate relationship refused to cooperate with police.
Giddey, who is at risk of losing his $40 million Weet-Bix sponsorship, has declined to comment on the situation so far.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had no comment before Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, though he has said in the past that the player, whose agent was just fired, has the right to play pending a conclusion in the investigation.
The Thunder did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment on Thursday.
Giddey is averaging 12 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for an OKC team that is off to a 12-6 start. He has started all three games since the charges were filed – losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves before the win against the Lakers.
He was mostly cheered during the home openers against Philadelphia, but he was booed and booed throughout the road game against Minnesota.