NBA world says same thing about Josh Giddey after OKC Thunder championship
Josh Giddey has sent a message of total class after watching his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates win the NBA Championship in euphoric scenes on Monday (AEST).
In the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016, the Thunder took advantage of a heartbreaking serious injury to Indiana franchise star Tyrese Haliburton to win the decider 103-91 on their home court.
It must have been a rollercoaster of emotions for Giddey, watching his former team go all the way just 12 months after he was shipped off to the Chicago Bulls.
Giddey has thrived since joining the Bulls and is reportedly set to sign a staggering $46 million per-year deal with the iconic franchise.
However, that all seems somewhat insignificant when watching his former team take the league by storm this season.
Giddey shared an Instagram story with a photo of OKC's triumph, writing: 'Congrats to the guys' with three love hearts.
It was all class from the Aussie point guard, who also shared his heartbreak at Haliburton's Achilles injury in the first quarter that proved a cruel blow for the Indiana Pacers.
HaliðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'
— josh giddey (@joshgiddey) June 23, 2025
The man OKC replaced Giddey with, Alex Caruso, turned out to be a pivotal piece in the Thunder's championship puzzle.
The 31-year-old, who one of the league's best defender's in 2023 and 2024, was sent to OKC by the Bulls in a straight swap for Giddey.
Caruso had the third most steals in NBA Finals history as he won his second NBA championship following his 2020 title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
OKC Thunder general manager Sam Presti paid tribute to OKC's entire squad including Caruso, who at 31 years of age is by far the oldest player in the Thunder's rotation.
'Age is a number,' an emotional Presti said about his young squad that shapes as the NBA's next dynasty.
'Sacrifice and maturity is a characteristic and these guys have it in spades. It's a privilege to work with these guys.
'These guys represent at that is good at a young age. They prioritise winning, they prioritise sacrifice. This just unfolded very quickly.
Last offseason, Presti recruited Caruso and centre Isaiah Hartenstein, bringing in players to bolster the Thunder's three-point shooting, defence and rebounding.
The Thunder winning the title a year after his departure would be a tough pill to swallow for Giddey, and it seems everyone is saying the same thing about the 22-year-old point guard.
One American sports writer posted on X: 'Josh Giddey has to be sick right now'.
The Thunder traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and won a championship
The Bulls traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and now get the right to pay him 30 million dollars a year
It’s ok to like Josh Giddey and still admit the Bulls lost that transaction
— Justin Talks Hoops (@J_Talks_Hoops) June 23, 2025
The Hartenstein and Caruso acquisitions are both all-time moves from Sam Presti.
Addressed clear needs on the roster + added a veteran presence to a young group.
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 23, 2025
Australian basketball legend Luc Longley, who won three championships with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, is backing Giddey to bounce back from getting traded.
'I don't feel a single bit sorry for Josh,' Longley told news.com.au recently.
Andrew Bogut, who won an NBA title with the Golden State Warriors, said the brutal nature of Giddey's benching by the Thunder in last season's playoffs would sting.
'I mean he essentially got benched and was somewhat told that 'we can't win with him in the line-up',' Bogut told news.com.au.
'He's been on record saying he'd rather it happened now than in year seven, eight, nine, ten — and work out the kinks at an earlier age.
'But to some young guys that could derail you, that could mentally screw you.'
Giddey became a near triple double machine in the back-end of the NBA regular season and the Bulls are expected to re-sign him as they are urged to lean into a rebuilding around a young core.
'He's bounced back even better for it and now you know second half of the year for him was phenomenal,' Bogut said.
'Chicago's gonna have to have to pay him, I think. I don't think they have any choice with the way the (salary) cap is.'
Longley added: ''With Josh, I hope that they build the right pieces with him and around him. And I do believe in his appetite for it.
'I think he is supremely motivated by things more than money. He is deeply competitive.'
Meanwhile, Alex Ducas, who is on a two-way contract with the Thunder, has now become just the eighth Australian to win an NBA championship and is likely to be awarded with a championship ring by team officials as a member of the support staff.
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