The Roar
The Roar

Basketball
Advertisement

Giddey gets ‘Magic Johnson’ comparisons as he blows away Knicks with another triple double
The Roar
15th February, 2022
3
Join the conversation
Advertisement
Write for The Roar

Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists.

Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
The Roar
15th February, 2022
3

Josh Giddey has been compared to Magic Johnson after a stunning triple-double display in Oklahoma City’s win over New York at Madison Square Garden.

The 19-year-old Australian posted his third triple double of the season to lead the Thunder to a 127-123 overtime triumph over the Knicks at the Mecca of basketball.

Giddey ended up with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists to lead his unheralded side to an upset over New York in a nail-biter.

Former NBA All Star Wally Szczerbiak during the MSG Network commentary of the game compared Giddey to Johnson, arguably the greatest point guard in NBA history.

“Josh Giddey, what a performance, the triple double,” he said.

“Magic Johnson-esque, the feel that he has at his size to run the point.”

Coincidentally, he became the youngest person to record a triple-double at the Knicks’ famed home arena at 19 years and 127 days, beating the record held for more than four decades by Johnson himself, who was 20 years and 175 days when he did so as a Los Angeles Laker rookie.

Advertisement

Giddey and Johnson are two of only four players who have registered a triple-double in their MSG debut, joining another all-time great in Wilt Chamberlain and 1990s sharpshooter Chuck Person.

The comparison with Magic is flattering for Giddey – if he achieves a fraction of what the Lakers icon racked up during his glittering career then he will have done extremely well.

After his first 51 games in the NBA, he is averaging 12 points, 0,9 steals, 6.2 assists and 7.7 rebounds and is all but certain to make the All-Rookie First Team.

Luka Doncic holds the NBA record for most triple-doubles by a teenager with four. Giddey will turn 20 by the start of next season but has 29 more matches in his rookie campaign to set a new mark.

It had only been a couple of days since Giddey’s previous triple-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Thunder’s 106-101 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Advertisement

He first achieved the milestone on January 2 when he tallied 17 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds, along with four steals, to break the record held by Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.

Giddey has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month three times in a row and was selected to play in the All-Star Rising Stars game and Skills Challenge next weekend.

Taken somewhat surprisingly with the No.6 pick in last year’s NBA Draft, the former Adelaide 36er has more than lived up to his first-round lottery status for the rebuilding OKC franchise.

3
Join the conversation

Build your own ultimate team!  Pick your key players and take a shot at big cash prizes every day with Draftstars.  For great odds on NBA games every day head on over to PlayUp.  Imagine what you could be buying instead.  Set a deposit limit.

Related Posts

close