Josh Giddey continues to be a talking point in NBA discourse as the allegations that he slept with a 16-year-old continue to rage on, with some now believing that media coverage is racially driven instead of morally driven such as Dez Bryant.
The Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard’s life turned chaotic once a photo of himself shirtless and a young blonde girl appeared on Snapchat with the caption, “Just f**ked Josh Giddey”.
It didn’t take long for fans to investigate the age of the girl, with some establishing she is 16 and others claiming she is as young as 15 although both currently remain unproven as the police and NBA investigate the matter.
But ESPN’s coverage, particularly that of Malika Andrews, has been accused of being racially biased with people claiming they aren’t going after him as much as black athletes due to his whiteness, such as Bryant who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.
“You went out of your way to crucify [Charlotte Hornets guard] Brandon Miller on draft day over something he didn’t even do,” Dez Bryant wrote on X.com, formerly Twitter, addressing Andrews in quotes sourced by “The Guardian”. “Why haven’t you said nothing about Josh Giddey?
“Your parents really raised you wrong. You just a puppet. I don’t know how a former or current NBA player could sit there across from you and look at you with some kind of respect.”
Bryant did later apologize and Andrews did deliver a report, but it didn’t stop trolls from mocking her online by producing memes on the topic posed by the ex-wide receiver.
I ain’t talking about the situation no more unless @stephenasmith@malika_andrews wanna talk on air
But
I do wanna apologize for coming so aggressive at @malika_andrews
But I do wonder if she even realizes
How certain things look?Sports & media is a big deal to the…
? Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 30, 2023
Josh Giddey gets trolled for TikToks dedicated to underage girl Liv Cook
The age of consent and the grey areas of it
The age of consent in the Thunder’s home state is 16 but California, where the girl is either from or lives, is different. California’s age is 18 but there are some exemptions for marriage with the approval of the court.
It does range and differ from state to state, nation to nation, with there even being clauses such as “Romeo and Juliet” laws for when both are under 18, which isn’t the case with Giddey.
Further muddying the water in his case is the claim that they met in a 21+ night club, with her gaining entry via a fake ID, so if it was a one-night stand then many will argue he isn’t to blame.
Sexual assault cases are incredibly sensitive matters and all of the details have to be reported correctly in order to protect a journalist and the organization they represent, which some have used to justify why Andrews has been more silent than previously.
“Because we don’t know the facts and we represent a network, we have to make sure I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed,” Stephen A Smith, also of ESPN, said with quotes sourced by The Guardian. “It’s not about protecting Malika Andrews. It’s about protecting the industry. It’s about understanding and making you understand what comes along with this job.”
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