Hard Work Proves a Winner for Giddey

Monday, August 22, 2022

"He had a unique skill and I think if you have one skill you’re really great at you can become a pro. he kept growing, he improved his shooting and his work ethic was phenomenal."

By Dan Woods - NBL Media

Josh Giddey took the NBL by storm in his solitary season with the Adelaide 36ers. From that initial year in the professional game, he’s gone on to become one of the most exciting young players in the NBA.

The now 19-year-old guard finished as the NBL’s Rookie of the Year in 2021, before earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honours last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Giddey flashed his immense potential in his time at the 36ers, averaging over 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game and became the youngest Australian to ever record a triple-double in the league.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great to be back in Adelaide!! Melbourne next ? <a href="https://t.co/Wvw4Hpfhf2">pic.twitter.com/Wvw4Hpfhf2</a></p>— josh giddey (@joshgiddey) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshgiddey/status/1516333441423327234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Australian basketball legend Marty Clarke had an early look at Giddey while coaching in the NBA Global Academy, based out of the Australian Institute of Sport, and can't see why Giddey’s remarkable rise can’t continue.

“He’s gone through the stages remarkably quickly,” Clarke said.

"He was out of here a year before we envisaged, he was out of the NBL in a year and dominating in his own way in the NBA within a year. It’s a remarkable rise.

“I’d be lying if I said I saw his potential to be an NBA player … He was like ‘Boges’ (Andrew Bogut) – he didn’t make state teams initially and he used that as a way to drive himself to get better."

Giddey is one of a number of AIS graduates to grace basketball’s biggest stage. The likes of Bogut, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova all spent time in the academy, before going on to win NBA championships with the Warriors, Spurs and Cavaliers respectively.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When ?? meet at NBA All-Star weekend. <a href="https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Patty_Mills</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/joshgiddey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joshgiddey</a> ?<br><br>?: <a href="https://twitter.com/adekponya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adekponya</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA75?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA75</a> <a href="https://t.co/qNckVjzM2A">pic.twitter.com/qNckVjzM2A</a></p>— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_AU/status/1495223189131038722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Giddey looks to be a key pillar in a young and building Thunder side, who also recently acquired former New Zealand Breaker Ousmane Dieng with the 11th pick in the NBA Draft.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With the 11th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Ousmane Dieng! The pick will be traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.<br><br>Congrats on an incredible achievement Ousmane. The Breakers organisation is proud of the hard work you've put in to reach the NBA. <a href="https://t.co/Gb45BTF3db">pic.twitter.com/Gb45BTF3db</a></p>— Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1540141503078875136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Clarke says Giddey has one thing in common with those successful Boomers graduates who came before him – a strong work ethic.

“He had a unique skill and I think if you have one skill you’re really great at you can become a pro. he kept growing, he improved his shooting and his work ethic was phenomenal,” Clarke said of the guard.

“You have to love basketball because if you don’t it’s going to become hard to practice a lot … he loved hard work and he loved to compete. He had the first three boxes I look for checked.

“When you add [his] unique ability to throw the ball, and a lot of guys can pass in one or two ways, but he can throw it right handed, he can throw it left handed, he can throw it up the floor, across the floor, off the dribble, in the post, in the air, he had the complete passing package.

“We knew he was going to be good.”