Josh Giddey of the Thunder will not be charged as police conclude their investigation.
As of Wednesday night, Newport Beach, California, police announced in a statement that they have concluded their investigation into allegations that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an inappropriate relationship with a minor and will not be pursuing charges against him. The investigation had been closed.
“After a thorough or exhaustive examination, we finished our inquiry into info that had been circulating on social media concerning Josh Giddey,” according to the statement.
“Despite our detectives’ exhaustive review of the available evidence, they were unable to establish any criminal activity involving Mr. Giddey.” However, in such situations, we often lag behind the investigation and proceed subsequently.
Late in November, the allegations against Giddey emerged on social media. An unnamed social media user stated in a since-deleted post that the girl spotted in photographs and videos with Giddey was a junior in high school at the time. Subsequently, the internet account ceased to function.
A few days after the allegations surfaced, the Newport Beach police initiated an investigation. On November 29, the department issued a statement in which it, in part, stated that it was “actively seeking further details related to the allegations and pursuing any leads and evidence to learn the facts of the case.”
Michael Bass, a spokesman for the NBA, confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the league is “continuing our review” in the matter and is cognizant of the conclusions reached by the police investigation into the allegations.
Early in December, the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, did state that the investigation conducted by the league office would “take a back seat” to that of the Newport Beach police.
“In general, we will collaborate with law enforcement to the extent that they are willing to disclose the information they possess,” Silver stated at a news conference held in Las Vegas before the NBA’s season tournament final.
“That is something we can learn from.” In this instance, we collect whatever information is at our disposal by collaborating with a police department or a district attorney. We simultaneously make every effort to comply with their investigation so long as they maintain that we are not impeding upon it.
Josh Giddey, a guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, will not be charged in California following a police investigation into an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a minor.
The Newport Beach Police Department concluded its investigation into Giddey, 21, the department announced on Wednesday. “After a thorough and exhaustive examination, we have completed our investigation into information that was circulating on social media involving Josh Giddey,” according to the NBPD statement.
“After reviewing all available information, our detectives have been unable to establish any criminal activity involving Mr. Giddey.” The Newport Beach, Calif. Police Department is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of all parties involved while ensuring the public receives accurate information.
An anonymous user’s since-deleted message on X, formerly Twitter, alleging Giddey was in an extramarital affair with a minor sparked the investigation in late November.
Since November, when social media posts containing photos and videos of Giddey with the alleged victim went viral, the matter has been under investigation.
The NBA declared its intention to investigate the allegations, which was subsequently accompanied by the Newport Beach, California, police a few days later, where the alleged incident occurred.
Although Giddey has been subject to allegations, the Thunder have elected to continue playing him. While the Thunder are off to a 27-13 start, the former No. 6 overall pick has missed only one game this season.
However, his numbers have declined significantly from the previous campaign. Giddey has recorded career-low averages of 24.8 minutes per game, points (11.8), rebounds (6.1), and assists (4.8) in 39 games (all starts).
Police initiated an inquiry in November after online rumors that Giddey was involved in a sham relationship with a female minor. It is unknown whether Giddey has any affiliation with Newport Beach.
Giddey was questioned in November regarding social media posts that implied a relationship.
In response, he stated, “I understand the question, but I cannot comment further at this time… “I suppose you all have something to say about it at this moment, but I have nothing to say at this time.”