Thunder point guard Josh Giddey hoping to move on after alleged illicit relationship scandal

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to take the next step as an NBA playoff team, but one of their cornerstone players finds himself in a scandalous predicament. It’s been reported by Marca.com and others that Josh Giddey had a relationship with a 15 year-old girl, which would be problematic and illegal for the 21 year-old guard from Australia.

The teenage girl at the center of the swirling story appears to be Liv Cook. She posted content of her and Giddey spending time together, including a potential caption of what they might have done behind closed doors. This happens from time to time with famous athletes, but curiosity and concern started to escalate when people realized how old Cook was.

The ages of the parties involved seem to be reported on good authority, but the exact nature of their relationship, and how it began, is speculative at this time. According to Marca.com, there’s a possibility that Giddey first met Cook at a club which is supposed to enforce an 18 and over policy.

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If this proves to be true, it’s possible Giddey may not have realized Cook’s true age.

Of course, if Giddey and Cook had a prolonged interaction inclusive of sharing details about each other’s lives, then it seems plausible that the girl’s age and high school student status may have come up. T

There are a lot of different theories about how this could have and ultimately did unfold that are of interest to pop culture and NBA aficionados alike.

The league looked into the circumstances of Giddey’s relationship with Cook, and it’ll be fascinating to see what they learn and what discipline is levied, if any. Somewhat surprisingly, the NBA allowed Giddey to continue to play.

It’ll also be interesting to see how road crowds try to chide the Aussie to throw him off of his game.

If the specifics of this situation don’t fall in Giddey’s favor, it looks like he’ll be in some sort of trouble regardless of where the indiscretion took place. The Oklahoma City player was born in Melbourne, Australia, and the country’s age of consent is 16.

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In the state of Oklahoma, 16 is also the age of consent, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It doesn’t appear like Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault or Giddey himself is interested in speaking publicly about this matter. Both individuals have declined to discuss the matter while the NBA’s investigation took place.  Thunder players and assistant coaches also remained quiet on the subject as well.

We may find out what the league knows soon enough, but the NBA is also going to have to consider public perception as they navigate their way through this situation.

If Giddey did in fact have intimate relations with Cooke while she was underage, they might have no choice but to levy a punishment even if the Thunder player could have reasonably assumed she was older.

This is going to be yet another important lesson in athlete behavior as it relates to the general public. It’s unclear whether Giddey or Cook approached the other, but in future situations, athletes will likely be extremely cautious about whom they liaise with.

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Those looking to associate themselves with athletes might also think twice about a potential firestorm.

In January 2024, the allegations against the Thunder forward were dropped, according to TMZ and Fox Sports. Authorities did not find credible evidence to support the claims made against the NBA player. Giddey told news.com.au after that he was hoping to move on from 'a difficult season.'