A high-profile US lawyer has confirmed she is representing the family of the girl with whom Australian basketball star Josh Giddey has been accused of having an improper relationship.
Responding to queries about her role in the case, attorney Gloria Allred – famous for advocating for women in cases against powerful men and celebrities – did not elaborate, saying: “We have no comment”.
Last week, the Newport Beach, California, police department said its detectives are conducting an investigation. The NBA has also announced an inquiry.
In a since-deleted post, an anonymous social media user last month said a girl who is seen with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Giddey, 21, in videos and photographs was a high school junior at the time.
The social media account has since been deactivated.
Giddey and the Thunder have declined to comment on the situation so far.
The Melbourne-born player is averaging 12 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for an Oklahoma City team that is off to a 13-6 start, second-best in the Western Conference.
He has started all four games since the accusations were made, and has been repeatedly booed by opposition fans. He played a season-low 17 minutes in Saturday’s win at Dallas.
Giddey was the No.6 overall pick in the 2021 draft and was named to the All-Rookie second team in 2021-22.
Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
Playing for the Boomers at this year’s World Cup, he averaged a team-high 19.4 points as Australia went 3-2.
The 2021 NBL rookie of the year is a key figure in the Boomers’ hopes of improving on their Tokyo Olympics bronze medal at next year’s Paris Games.