Chicago Bulls point guard Josh Giddey addressed an ankle injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday during a recent media availability.
Josh Giddey was quick to clear the air after he was held out of practice Wednesday with what the team called an “ankle tweak.”
“I feel good,” he said twice. “I just tweaked it a little bit, stepped on someone’s foot.”
The Chicago Bulls’ point guard, fresh off a newly inked four-year, $100 million contract to remain with the franchise through the 2028-29 season, is entering October as Chicago’s highest paid player. As the team’s indisputable starting point guard, he’ll look to play a large role in the Bulls’ first playoff berth since the 2021-22 season.
An ankle tweak certainly won’t stand in his way.
“Yesterday was more precautionary,” Giddey said. “It was a slow day anyway, kind of a walk through. I took it light, but today was a full practice again. It feels good.”
Giddey Addresses Ankle Injury
Over the offseason, a months-long standoff between Giddey and the Bulls dominated Bulls headlines amid adding rookie forward Noa Essengue to the rotation. Giddey knows how it looks, but assured reporters the contract delay was anything but a show of bad faith.
“There were never any bad feelings,” Giddey assured. “It’s a negotiation, and that’s how it goes. It’s kind of the nature of the business.”
He did in fact catch wind of all the tea party chatter.
“When you hit free agency,” Giddey said, “rumors will start to circulate. I let my management and agent handle that side of things … I tried to stay out of it. When there was something to know, I knew. My agent would tell me.”
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Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals over 70 games in his debut season with the Bulls, becoming the second Bull to average at least 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a single season (Michael Jordan).
Per the Bulls: “Giddey’s impactful season was also highlighted by historic single-game performances, including becoming the first NBA player with a stat line of 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists and eight steals in a game (at LAL, 3/22).”
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At the end of the regular season, Bulls general manager Artūras Karnišovas urged fans to remain patient with Chicago’s develpoment. Signing Giddey to his extension was perhaps the first of several moves needed to justify such a stance.
But that’s not Giddey’s job to worry about.