Long before Josh Giddey was a star in the NBL and a top 10 NBA Draft pick, he was just a kid trying to make a name for himself, making his connection with Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert all the more special.
Giddey talked about his relationship with LeVert when he initially met him in 2018 at a Basketball Without Borders camp in India.
LeVert was Giddey’s coach for the camp, and he said he recalls that LeVert “was really big on believing in me.”
Giddey has since made a name for himself in the basketball world, getting drafted sixth overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft after a stellar rookie season with the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL. Giddey has had a solid start to his NBA career, too, putting up 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.
In 2018 LeVert was entering his third season in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets and is now in his sixth season since being drafted out of the University of Michigan. Over his career, LeVert has averaged 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.
The duo played each other for the first time in the NBA on Friday night. The Pacers won the game 113-110 in overtime, with LeVert scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds, while Giddey had a double-double scoring 15 points and snatching 10 rebounds to go along with five assists.
