The NBA is looking into some serious allegations surrounding Oklahoma City Thunder star, Josh Giddey. Giddey is under investigation for inappropriate relations with a minor after an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) user appeared to post evidence of Giddey being sexually involved with a minor on November 24, 2023.
The minor in question was later revealed to be a high schooler named Livy Cook. It was originally believed that she was a junior or a senior. This would make her around the age of 17 during her encounter with Giddey, if her post proves to be accurate. However, new evidence suggests that Cook could have been as young as 15 during that time of the sexual encounter.
At this point in time, the date that the photos where taken and the age of Livy Cook has not been yet confirmed.
The age of consent in Oklahoma is 16, and according to state law, “sexual relations between an unmarried couple in which one is below the age of consent and the other is 18 or older could result in a statutory rape charge.” If found guilty, the sentence can range from one to 15 years in prison.
One of the larger pieces of evidence that is being used against Giddey is a post on Snapchat showing Giddey and Cook undressed with a caption that strongly implied that sexual relations had occurred. In addition, social media users have discovered more posts that back up this story, including Cook’s own TikTok account, which could confirm that she was not 18. However, there are still talks about whether Cook is underage or not, as in one TikTok video, she uses the hashtag “Iamover21,” which shows she may be 21 now.
This is relevant because another post shows Giddey at a 21 and older club with Cook. This means that Cook must have used a fake ID to get into the club, which brings the idea that she could have lied about her age to Giddey.
Many fans are still outraged as Giddey continues to attend team practices and even games, even after the allegations surfaced. They believe that the NBA should at least suspend Giddey until more evidence is found, similar to when Ja Morant flashed a gun on an Instagram Live, Even though it was unclear if Morant broke a law at the time, the NBA didn’t hesitate to suspend Morant 25 games. The allegations here appear worse.
Cooks’ parents have refused to cooperate with police investigators, which most likely means no legal action will take place. When asked about Giddey’s status before the game versus the 76ers on November 25, 2023, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said, “Giddy is available to play. Will play. No change in status. Still, I have no comment on anything else.”
Giddey was available to the media after having team practice on November 24, 2023; however, he declined to address the allegations on social media.
Giddey said, “I understand the question obviously, but there’s no comment right now.”
The NBA confirmed that it has launched an investigation into the allegations, but it generally does not give updates in these situations. In legal matters, the NBA normally waits until there is a resolution in the court system before it issues a punishment.
One example was when the NBA suspended Miles Bridges after he drove to the police station, turned himself in, and pled guilty to a domestic violence charge in court. If there are no criminal or legal issues, such as in the case of the Ja Morant gun incident, the league will issue a punishment.
Giddey, 21, is a guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder and was selected as the 6th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2021 NBA draft. He made an appearance on the All-Rookie second-team in 2021-22 and has become the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. So far this season, he has averaged 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and a shooting efficiency of 42.9% from the field and 30% from beyond the arch, per NBA.com.
On the court, it looks like his NBA career is off to a great start; however, these allegations may jeopardize whether Giddey remains on the court.
The Paper Wolf 