NBA drops Giddey probe as Aussie reveals mental toll

The investigation into Australian star Josh Giddey has reportedly been dropped by the NBA.

The league wrapped up its probe and found the Aussie had no case to answer, four months after police said there was no criminal case relating to allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the NBA closed the issue after Giddey’s season ended, when Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.

THE MOLE: Teddy axed as ‘radical’ No.6 picked ahead of ‘ambush’

READ MORE: Shock as Aussie gold medallist retires at 22 before Olympics

READ MORE: Dragons star in ‘agony’ with horror injury during loss

Giddey was booed throughout the season when allegations were first aired on social media, but the negativity died down once the playoffs arrived, and after the police case was dropped.

It was a turbulent season for the 21-year-old with the off-field accusations impacting his mental health, revealing there were days “you don’t want to get out of bed”.

He also had to deal with growing noise off the court about his place in the OKC team as several members of the US basketball media called for him to be traded, with most predicting he’ll be gone in the off-season.

“This was probably the biggest challenge I’ve ever gone through for a number of reasons obviously,” Giddey said of the allegations levelled at him.

“I think (coping) mentally is the part that gets overlooked the most for any player. It’s so easy for people to see what’s happening on the floor but not see what happens behind the scenes and there’s so much more to a person than basketball.

“That’s for anyone, not just me. You have a couple bad games, you start to get in your own head, maybe you lose confidence — whatever the case may be.

“But for me, I’ve just tried to stay within the team as much as I can this year and that’s been the thing for me that I found that’s worked the best.

“When you come in every day, you get amongst the team and you stay within the group and that’s what cheers guys up and that’s what gets you back on the right path.

“I’m really lucky to have good people around me. They really care and really are there for you and there’s definitely been days and stretches this year that have been tough.

“It’s not a secret. But I just tried to come in every day and be the best I could and be the best teammate I could.”

Giddey’s inconsistent three-point shot led to him losing time on the court throughout the season and was benched during the playoff series against Dallas, even though he did show more composure with his corner-three point shot.

He told reporters he wants to stay at the Thunder and “loves everything about the place” while admitting he could have handled his benching a little better.

“I was probably in my own head and I wasn’t being a good teammate. I just felt bad,” he said.

“Even after game one (against Dallas), I was trying to be happy, but I was also so worried internally. I couldn’t fully get around the guys the way I wanted to and it was a bad feeling.

“From that point on, I made a promise to myself that whether I play five minutes or 40 minutes, I’m going to be the best teammate I can be. I’m going to be up off the bench cheering for the guys and being supportive.

“That was kind of the mindset I took into the next three games. I love my teammates. So I just wanted to be there for them as much as I could.

“I’ve always been in a position where I’m playing a lot of minutes and starting my whole life.

“And then when suddenly things don’t happen the way you want them to and the way you think they’re going to pan out, how do you react?”