Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey won't face charges following allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor, Newport Beach, California, police said.
The department said it conducted a "thorough and exhaustive examination" into the claims, which The Athletic said emerged on social media, and "were unable to corroborate any criminal activity related to Mr. Giddey." The police investigation is now closed.
"The Newport Beach Police Department is committed to ensuring that accurate information is disseminated to the public, while also ensuring the rights of all those involved," the department said in a news release Wednesday.
The allegations against Giddey first surfaced in November. An anonymous social media user said a girl who was allegedly seen with the 21-year-old basketball player in videos and pictures was a high school junior at the time, the Associated Press reported. The post has since been deleted.
Giddey declined to comment on the allegations at a November news conference during practice, telling reporters that "for right now I don’t have anything to say." NBC News reached out to Giddey's agent for comment on Thursday.
The NBA had opened its own investigation into the claims. Spokesperson Michael Bass told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the league was aware of the findings in the police probe and was "continuing our review" of the allegations.
Giddey, from Melbourne, Australia, was chosen sixth overall in the 2021 draft and is the first NBA Global Academy graduate to be selected in the NBA draft, according to the league. He was named to the All-Rookie second team during the 2021-2022 season.
