Boomers star flattered by Michael Jordan comparisons, focused on team success after Chicago Bulls party with Billy Donovan
Australian Boomers star Josh Giddey is proud to have his name associated with the greatest basketball player to ever grace the court, Michael Jordan.
There were several times during the NBA season when the Chicago Bulls point guard was mentioned in the same breath as Jordan, who not only won six championships with the Bulls but also took the sport into a glittering new world.
Giddey, 23, passed Jordan on the Bulls’ all-time triple-double list this year with a franchise-record 29, becoming the first Bulls player to record back-to-back triple-doubles since Jordan in 1989.
But on a warm Wednesday morning in Melbourne, when he learned the Bulls had parted ways with coach Billy Donovan after six seasons, Giddey’s real reason for playing the sport was clear.
“So he [Jordan] Frankly, this is the pinnacle of the sport. He is the greatest person who can achieve this. And every time your name is mentioned with someone [like Jordan]It’s something pretty special,” said Giddey, promoting Nine’s new free-to-air deal with the NBL.
Nine, which owns this imprint, will show two major NBL games each week as part of a multi-year deal.
“But like I said, individual things are great, but you get to a point where it probably doesn’t mean as much in my career as it once did.
“Winning is the pinnacle and that is what I want to achieve. [But] Yes, whenever your name is associated with a man like this, it is very special.”
It certainly hasn’t been a special season for the Bulls, who dismantled their roster at the trade deadline in February, fired their president of basketball operations and general manager, and now let go of their respected coach after failing to make the playoffs.
Giddey, who has a four-year, $150 million contract, knows the “business” but is pursuing team success in the fifth year of his NBA career.
“When I come back here, I train and watch the playoffs on the big screen,” Giddey said.
This attitude is reflected in the fact that the pass-first playmaker began rigorous training sessions with experienced high-performance coach Nik Popovic just two days after returning home. Popovic spent many years in programs led by Brian Goorjian and now works with Giddey year-round.
In 54 games, Giddey averaged career highs in points (17.0), rebounds (8.3) and assists (9.1) per game while averaging a strong 36.4 percent from three-point range (career 33.7).
“I think we looked really good at the beginning of the year. And I thought the team we had was a playoff-caliber team and we could make some noise there. And then, of course, at the trade deadline, they changed some things. We had eight new players, eight guys down. That was a huge change,” Giddey said.
“We all had a minicamp in the middle of the year trying to integrate these new players into the team.”
Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf said he wanted the under-contracted Donovan to stay, but as Giddey noted, “Billy made his own decision.”
Giddey said, “I loved him. Frankly, I wish he was there and stayed. I had only good things to say about Billy.”
Donovan left the Bulls for Giddey after trading him from the Oklahoma City Thunder in June 2024, and as a junior with the Melbourne Tigers he found his passing skills were outstanding all over the court, running the club’s famous shuffle offense.
Giddey stunned locals last year when he filled in for a friend and made a surprise appearance at the Frankston Basketball Stadium. Whether that will happen again remains to be seen, but he is keen to attract as many Boomers as possible to Courtside in Port Melbourne, a complex he also owns, for an unofficial mini-camp ahead of next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Under new coach Adam Caporn, an assistant with the Washington Wizards, the Boomers are looking to erase the memories of a disappointing campaign by failing to reach the medal rounds at the Paris Olympics.
Giddey said he didn’t know whether 37-year-old veteran sniper Patty Mills or 38-year-old Joe Ingles were still eligible. Ingles is heading into the play-off round with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but is in strong discussions with Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix about returning to the NBL, league sources who do not want to speak publicly told this imprint.
“We have a good crop [youngsters] … Them [Mills and Ingles] I’ve done a lot for the country and the Boomers. So the next group of guys that can carry the torch will come in and we’ll see what they do… I guess next year,” Giddey said.
After a one-year break, Mills is playing with La Laguna Tenerife in Spain’s Liga ACB and Basketball Champions League.
Giddey said five-time NBL most valuable player Bryce Cotton, now an Australian citizen, would be “welcomed with open arms” if he chose to play for Australia.
He also said that the door is still open for Ben Simmons’ return. The 29-year-old Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star and former rookie of the year, has battled back injuries and mental health issues and failed to earn an NBA contract last season.
Since then, he has enjoyed being the team owner and control operator for the South Florida Sails in the Sport Fishing Championship, a professional offshore saltwater fishing league.
“His body obviously isn’t what it used to be. But yeah, from what I understand he wants to play. I think being healthy enough is enough,” Giddey said.
“Obviously he has a big hobby outside of basketball. He loves doing it. Yeah, I’m sure he’ll come back and play one day.”
NBL sources, who wished to remain anonymous, said they would welcome Simmons but there had been no recent contact between the parties.
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Jon Pierik is a sports reporter for The Age. He covers the AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect with: X or email.
