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Last week, the NBA announced it was investigating allegations concerning Thunder guard Josh Giddey, who has been accused of engaging in an inappropriate romantic relationship. Now, he could lose tens of millions of dollars from a sponsor that has already distanced itself from him in the wake of that development.
In 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder used the sixth overall pick in the NBA Draft to select Josh Giddey, who grew up in Australia and spent a season with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (where he won Rookie of the Year honors).
While he’s far from a household name, Giddey has cemented himself as a solid contributor for the Thunder; he’s averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in the close to 150 games he’s played during his time in the NBA.
He’s certainly not a household name, but after Ben Simmons failed to live up to expectations, he’s probably the most talented Australian player in the NBA today (if we’re not counting Kyrie Irving, who was technically born there but moved to the United States when he was two).
However, things took a turn earlier this month when Giddey (who is currently 21) was accused of being romantically involved with an underaged girl based on multiple photos and videos that surfaced online. He declined to comment on the matter when Oklahoma City practiced on Friday, and he played when the Thunder faced off against the 76ers over the weekend.
The allegations remain exactly that as the league takes a closer look at the manner, but according to an Australian news outlet, Weet-Bix—a cereal brand that signed Giddey to an endorsement deal reportedly worth $40 million—quietly scrubbed his image from its social media accounts after they came to light.
A spokesperson for the brand chimed in on that development, saying:
“We are obviously aware of news surrounding Josh Giddey and are waiting for facts to be confirmed.
We are in contact with Josh’s management team and waiting on further detail at this point.”
It’s safe to assume the sponsorship will be the last of Giddey’s worries if evidence surfaces to confirm the allegations are legitimate (he’s obviously innocent until proven otherwise), but that’s certainly not a tiny sum of money to lose.