Chet Holmgren, one of Josh Giddey’s closest teammates, appeared to delete a tweet regarding the Thunder star as the NBA investigates claims of an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
The NBA has launched an investigation into claims that Oklahoma City’s rising star had an inappropriate relationship with a minor after photos of him with a girl – including one in which she bragged about having sex with him – were recently posted on social media.
It is claimed that the girl was in high school at the time, although that claim is currently unproven.
But despite the allegations against him, Giddey was free to play for the Thunder against the Sixers in Oklahoma, meaning he returned to the court for the first time since the photos surfaced.
The Thunder are 11-4 after a strong start to the season, with the Giddey saga potentially threatening to derail their campaign.
NBA fans noticed Giddey’s teammate Holmgren appeared to distance himself from the Australian after he deleted a tweet sharing how close he is to the young gun.
Josh Giddey’s (left) teammate Chet Holmgren (right) appeared to delete a tweet regarding his Oklahoma City Thunder teammate
Holmgren called Giddey his “twin brother” in a tweet that appears to have been deleted
Holmgren posted another tweet claiming that the pair “have the best chemistry in the NBA” and that “they NEVER leave each other’s sides,” and Holmgren replied, “My twins locked in fasho.”
Now the message no longer exists.
Although the incident led to speculation of a rift, Giddey and Holmgren worked together during their 123-127 loss to the 76ers on Saturday.
Giddey set up an alley-oop for his teammate and they high-fived after executing the move.
Coach Mark Daigneault confirmed before the game: “(He is) available to play, will play. From a basketball perspective, there are no changes. So I have no further comment.’
Giddey was then named as one of the starters for the Thunder against the Sixers at Paycom Center – and he received a loud ovation when he was introduced to the home crowd during the ongoing investigation.
The Melbourne-born star scored 10 points in 26 minutes on a night when the Sixers snapped the Thunders’ six-game winning streak, with Joel Embiid registering 35 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 127-123 victory for Philadelphia.
One of the images posted online shows the girl bragging about having sex with Giddey, who has become one of the Thunder’s most important players since being selected sixth overall in the 2021 NBA draft.
The photo – which shows a shirtless Giddey standing behind her – is captioned ‘just f***ed josh giddey’.
Another shows the Australian player with his arm around her body and the caption ‘he says hey’.
The NBA has launched an investigation into claims that Giddey had an inappropriate relationship with a minor after photos of him with a girl were recently posted on social media
In one of the photos, Giddey can be seen with his arm around her body and the caption “he says hey”
There is also a video of Giddey supposedly talking to the girl’s brother, saying: ‘I’m here with your beautiful sister.
‘Good luck with your season. I hear you’re heading to Sacramento for a game soon, so good luck. We’re coming up to see how you handle things.’
In another video, in which she appears to be standing in the background outside a nightclub, Giddey says: ‘What’s going on, my man? We’re at the front of the club, me and my girl, about to go back to mine.’
It remains unclear when and where the photos and videos were taken and how old the girl actually is.
Giddey was in the media for the first time since the investigation began on Friday, with the Oklahoma City star appearing for interviews with reporters after practice.
He was immediately asked about the allegations made against him, with one reporter noting: “Josh, you’ve gone viral in recent days for some pretty serious allegations. I know there’s nothing concrete about that, but can you talk about that situation?’
In response, he said, “Yes, I mean, I clearly understand the question, but there is no further comment at this time.”
One reporter then asked a question about the team’s defense, before a third reporter returned to the serious allegations and asked for a follow-up.
Giddey then responded: “I understand the question guys, I completely understand you wanting to know more about it, but at this point I have nothing to say.”