OKC Thunder: Josh Giddey Headlines GQ Australia's September-October Issue

Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey has been making the most out of his offseason ahead of fall training camp, and it’s only continued as he recently headlined GQ Australia’s fall issue.

Josh Giddey’s epic rise to NBA stardom has blazed a trail for other Aussies to follow. Get to know GQ Australia’s next cover star who is changing the way the world thinks about Australia’s basketball talent in tomorrow's copy of The Australian. pic.twitter.com/zLo27bIlLx
— The Australian (@australian) September 20, 2023

The savvy, smooth guard’s on-court and off-court fluidity can be exemplified in these cover shots, where he finds himself sporting a plethora of designer fabrics in what is labeled as “The Epic Rise of Josh Giddey.”

He’s blossomed into a true force at guard in the NBA, a pure facilitator who’s actively improving on both his scoring and on-ball defending. It was never set in stone, though, as a teenage Aussie guard making his way from the NBL to Oklahoma City in attempts to help front a successful rebuild is by no means an easy task.

But Giddey’s made the absolute most of it. Alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and now Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s young core are building something special, and they’re starting to attract national media attention because of it.

“It took me a while to get out of my shell,” Giddey told GQ Australia. “But I’ve been doing it so often for a couple of years now that you get more comfortable naturally and I’ve leaned into it. The more you lean in, I think the more comfortable you get.”

Giddey’s comfortability has certainly shown since his first year in the league in 2021. In his second season in the NBA last year, he made a 4.1 increase in points per game, and also added 6% onto his 3-point and field goal shooting percentage from the year before.

He’s been an integral piece of the Thunder offensive game plan through his first two seasons, and is beginning to be recognized as one of the top up-and-coming prospects in the league today as a 6-foot-8 floor general. Giddey’s displayed his maturity and established his role on Oklahoma City at just 20-years old, he’ll barely be 21 before the beginning of his third NBA season.

Impressing Thunder fans and more so far, he’s projected to continue to bring his sleek, polished game to Oklahoma City each night in 2023-24.

“I didn’t expect to come in, start straight away and start every game since. A lot has happened in the past few years that caught me by surprise, but it’s been everything I could have hoped for and more.”

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