This story appears in SLAM 233.
At the age of 3, Josh Giddey sat in the bleachers of John Cain Arena watching his father, Warrick, coach as an assistant for the Melbourne Tigers. Warrick’s retired Tigers jersey hangs in the rafters, bearing witness to the journey Josh has taken, from a young fan of the game to a possible first-round pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
The Australian National Basketball League’s (NBL) Rookie of the Year averaged just shy of 11 points, 7.3 rebounds and a league-high 7.6 assists in 32 minutes per game with the Adelaide 36ers. As of presstime, Giddey was No. 11 on ESPN’s Top 100 draft rankings.
His game on the court is naturally unselfish. At 6-9, Giddey easily fills up the stat sheet with jaw-dropping assists and a handful of boards (grabbing the sixth-most rebounds in the NBL this season). He finds joy in the little things, like the seams of the ball lining up perfectly in a shooter’s shot pocket or the gleam on his teammate’s face after receiving a clean pass to the bucket.
Giddey turned heads in April when he became the youngest player since LaMelo Ball to record a triple-double in NBL history, scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 10 assists against the New Zealand Breakers.
His first few games as a pro weren’t so easy, as Giddey struggled with his confidence. As the season continued, his jitters dissipated and he broke out in his fourth game, posting a 12-point double-double, finishing the season with 13 total double-doubles and three triple-doubles.
“I think my whole game kind of went to another level,” Giddey says. “Playing with that swagger and confidence is what I love doing, and when I’m doing that, I think that’s when I’m at my best.”
Jared ebanks 