But for Giddey...
Tonight's outstanding performance could, at most, only help him win back a little of his reputation.
After all, back in November at the start of the new season, his off-court scandal had exploded~~
At the time, reports claimed that Giddey's girlfriend was only fifteen years old and still a high school student.
This kind of "case" involving an NBA player and a minor immediately drew enormous attention.
Although the investigation was ultimately dropped because the girl and her family refused to cooperate, the media fallout and public backlash still cost Giddey dearly.
The most direct loss was a long-term endorsement deal worth $40 million.
At the same time, Giddey faced a great deal of harsh criticism in the court of public opinion.
Still, it had to be said that this player really did have some ability.
Though his shooting was poor, his finishing on drives, playmaking, and defensive reads were all at a very high level.
That was probably why the Hornets had remained silent and handled this off-court incident so coldly.
After all, the odds of discovering an outstanding young player were fairly low. Giving up on him just like that would be far too regrettable.
As for the off-court factors?
Hadn't he avoided being charged?~~
Gossip, personal character, and all that—were there really that few players in the league who had gotten into all kinds of messes?
Just look at Morant, Zion, and even Edwards. Their private lives were all plagued by one tabloid scandal after another.
Did people really think everyone was the type to keep themselves clean like Chris and Westbrook?
As for Giddey himself, he was fairly composed.
After the incident, he first handled it as discreetly as possible, then quietly focused on playing basketball. Only through one performance after another did