BIO: Josh Giddey was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Melbourne basketball program. Giddey received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2019. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2019).

FAMILY: Josh Giddey is the son of Warrick Giddey who played 449 games in the NBL. Also, his mother, Kim, played for the Tigers in the Women’s National Basketball League. Giddey’s sister, Hannah, plays forward for the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Josh Giddey made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 18 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.

After long-time head coach Joey Wright was released from the 36ers amidst several issues with players, the team appointed former Perth Wildcats assistant Conner Henry as his replacement. The shake-up continued as co-captain Kevin White was granted a release from his remaining contract, and Nathan Sobey and Harry Froling moved to Brisbane. In a separate move, Obi Kyei requested a release to focus on his clothing line.

With the 36ers retaining Jack McVeigh, Brendan Teys, Daniel Dillon, and Alex Mudronja, Henry and GM of Basketball Jeff Van Groningen set out to rebuild the roster.

On 12 March 2020, Adelaide announced the signing of Josh Giddey, a highly touted 18-year-old who had recently become the youngest Australian to debut for the Boomers since Ben Simmons, joining the 36ers via the Next Stars program.

‘Josh is arguably the best young basketball talent in the nation, and we’re thrilled for him to choose to start his professional career at the Adelaide 36ers,’ said Adelaide 36ers owner Grant Kelly on Giddey’s signing.

The team further strengthened its roster by signing five-time club MVP Daniel Johnson to a new three-year deal, adding 2018 NBL Rookie of the Year Isaac Humphries fresh from a stint in the NBA, and bringing in Keanu Pinder after a season in Europe. They also signed Sunday Dech from Illawarra and import guards Donald Sloan and veteran forward Tony Crocker.

In the season opener, Adelaide started young guns Giddey (18) and Humphries (23) but suffered a heavy loss to Melbourne (65-89). Coach Henry quickly adjusted the lineup, bringing in Sloan as the starting point guard, which resulted in a bounce-back win over South East Melbourne (116-108). Humphries came off the bench and delivered a dominant performance with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks, earning the NBL’s Player of the Week.

However, Giddey experienced a setback when he suffered a nasty fall after a dunk, leading to him missing the next game as a precaution.

Despite returning to the starting lineup after Sloan’s brief reinstatement, Giddey began to establish himself as the team’s primary playmaker, especially after Sloan was granted a mutual release mid-season. This change led to Sunday Dech stepping into the starting lineup alongside Giddey, solidifying the backcourt for the remainder of the season.

As the season progressed, Adelaide’s early momentum faltered with the disruption of the NBL Cup, which required the league to play eight consecutive games in Melbourne. The 36ers’ form dipped, and by the end of the Cup, they had dropped from third place to seventh on the ladder.

Although Brandon Paul was brought in mid-season to bolster the roster, the team suffered a major blow when Isaac Humphries went down with a season-ending injury. Despite these challenges, Daniel Johnson (19.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) continued his exceptional play, leading the team in scoring for the sixth time in his career and earning co-MVP honors alongside Giddey.

Josh Giddey finished the season averaging 10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, leading the league in assists and earning the NBL Rookie of the Year award. Despite Giddey’s standout individual performance, Adelaide finished the season with a disappointing 13-23 record, placing seventh on the ladder.

Josh Giddey played one season in the NBL. He averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in 28 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 5th in assists per game.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.