Police in Newport Beach, California, are closing an investigation into rumors that Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Josh Giddey was dating an underage girl, the department announced on Twitter.
“After a thorough and exhaustive examination, we have completed our investigation into information that was circulating on social media involving Josh Giddey,” the statement read. “Our detectives have reviewed all of the available information and were unable to corroborate any criminal activity related to Mr. Giddey.”
— Newport Beach Police (@NewportBeachPD) January 18, 2024
Police began investigating Giddey after posts surfaced in November alleging that a woman he was pictured with was a minor, according to ESPN.
The NBA said it was also investigating the charges, though commissioner Adam Silver said the league would “take a backseat” to the police investigations, the outlet noted.
According to ESPN, the investigation stemmed purely from online accusations from a now-deleted account.
The 21-year-old Giddey, who declined numerous opportunities to comment on the situation, has been showered with boos at nearly every Thunder away game, the outlet reported.
The Thunder organization made the decision to allow Giddey to keep playing through the investigation, according to ESPN. (RELATED: LA Clippers Billionaire Owner Gushes Over Dystopian Future Of Stadium Sports)
While police did clear Giddey, the NBA is still looking into the matter. NBA spokesman Michael Bass told The Associated Press that league is aware of the police department’s findings and is “continuing our review” of the accusations.
The Thunder selected the Australian-born Giddey with the sixth pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 2021-2022 All-Rookie Team selection has played significantly fewer minutes this year than in his first two seasons, only seeing 24.8 minutes per game compared to an average of over 31 in his first two seasons, according to Basketball Reference.