Last season, Josh Giddey was hit with allegations that he was having inappropriate relations with an underaged girl. The authorities later determined that no legal action against Giddey was needed, although this did not affect the way fans viewed him anyway. His stock fell off a cliff, paving the way for the Chicago Bulls to acquire him this past offseason in exchange for Alex Caruso.
With the way Giddey was greeted by the crowd at Smoothie King Center during the Bulls' season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, a 123-111 defeat, it certainly looks like fans aren't about to leave the 22-year-old guard alone anytime soon. They were booing Giddey every time he touched the basketball, and it did seem to affect the way the Bulls played for some stretches of the contest.
“It threw my teammates off… obviously this one was pretty loud. Every touch [they were booing me]. I definitely heard them. It is what it is. I can't do a lot about it so I'm used to it now. [I] just [got to] continue to play and do what I can out there,” Giddey told reporters in the locker room following the Bulls' loss, via Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.
Josh Giddey on the boos from New Orleans fans tonight: “I’m surprised it’s still gone on the way it was tonight. It threw my teammates off. … I can’t do a lot about it. I’m used to it now.” pic.twitter.com/Or3u32fhuV
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) October 24, 2024
Whatever Giddey did or didn't do last year is something that can not be proven concretely. This is why they are called allegations. Nevertheless, these allegations tend to stay with an individual and Giddey has been an easy target for opposing fans especially amid his struggles on the court.
Even now that he's on the Bulls, fans are refusing to give him a fresh start. Now, it's the prerogative of the paying fans at Smoothie King Center to boo whom they please (without crossing the line), and these boos are all part of the game in the end.
Time will be Giddey's greatest friend in this regard, although given how far and wide the allegations against him spread on social media, this is not a reputation he'll be shedding anytime soon.
Josh Giddey, Bulls run out of steam on opening night
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In the first half of the Bulls' opening night tilt against the Pelicans, they kept in stride, with Zach LaVine's hot shooting allowing Chicago to keep in step with New Orleans. But by the time the third quarter came along, the Pelicans buckled down on defense and forced the Bulls to make errors.
The Bulls turned the ball over 21 times, which is simply a recipe for disaster against an athletic Pelicans team that scored 30 points off of their giveaways.
Brandon Ingram, amid an offseason filled with trade rumors, showed why he is a valuable member of the Pelicans roster. With Zion Williamson out and Dejounte Murray struggling with his shot, Ingram led the Pelicans in scoring with 33. And with Murray looking like he'll be missing time due to a fractured hand, Ingram will be called upon to shoulder the primary scoring workload for the team.
Meanwhile, Josh Giddey put up 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists in his regular-season debut for the Bulls.
