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OKC Thunder forward Josh Giddey scored 31 points on 11 of 22 shooting as the Thunder advanced in the play-in tournament with a 123-118 win against the Pelicans on Wednesday.
Giddey was a pivotal piece on offense, also adding 10 assists.
How did Josh Giddey get to the NBA?
Giddey did not take the traditional path and did not attend college. He turned down multiple Division I offers, including from Arizona and went straight to the NBA from Australia.
Giddey was drafted sixth overall in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA all Rookie second team in the 2021-22 season. He is the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at 19 years, 84 days old.
The Australian native was draft eligible as an international prospect after playing in the National Basketball League in Australia. He signed with the Adelaide 36ers in 2020. Giddey was a part of a new developmental program called Next Stars.
The program develops young players for the NBA draft. Giddey was the first Australian to be a part of the Next Stars program.
Giddey was selected as the NBL Rookie of the Year and averaged 10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game in 28 games in the NBL.
Before beginning his professional career, Giddey was one of the top young prospects in Australia. He played at the NBA Global Academy, a basketball training facility in Canberra, Australia which is located within the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). He led the team from the NBA Global Academy to an international junior basketball tournament championship in Barcelona in 2020 before turning pro.
Giddey also appeared in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program. He attended the camp during the 2020 NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago. Giddey was named an all-star of the camp.
He has also played for the Australian national senior team. His first appearance was in 2020. He was the youngest player to play for the team since Ben Simmons in 2013. He did not make the team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and was selected as an alternate.
Josh Giddey appeared in 54 games in his first season with the Thunder and averaged 12.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 6.4 apg in his rookie season. The Australian improved upon his numbers in year two, averaging 16.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 6.2 apg in 76 games this season.
