Aussie NBA star Josh Giddey almost breaks down in tears as he reveals the mental toll of season that saw him falsely accused of having sex with a minor

Josh Giddey has admitted there were times he 'didn't feel like getting out of bed' as the NBA star reflected on a tough season in the spotlight.

The Australian basketballer fronted the media after finishing his third season with Oklahma City Thunder, with the franchise eliminated from the NBA playoffs after a second round defeat by Dallas Mavericks. 

Earlier this year, Giddey was cleared following a police investigation into whether he had an improper relationship with an underage girl after material circulated on social media. Newport Police found no evidence to corroborate the allegations made. 

The Aussie was booed and jeered at games in the wake of the unfounded allegations and his form dipped before he fell upon a late-season surge.

Giddey was emotional and fought back tears when discussing the mental toll that this season has taken on him. 

'This was probably the biggest challenge I've ever gone through for a number of reasons obviously,' Giddey said.

'I think (coping) mentally is the part that gets overlooked the most for any player. It's so easy for people to see what's happening on the floor but not see what happens behind the scenes and there's so much more to a person than basketball.

'That's for anyone not just me. You have a couple bad games, you start to get in your own head, maybe you lose confidence — whatever the case may be.

'But for me, I've just tried to stay within the team as much as I can this year and that's been the thing for me that I found that's worked the best. When you come in every day, you get amongst the team and you stay within the group and that's what cheers guys up and that's what gets you back on the right path.

'I'm really lucky to have good people around me. They really care and really are there for you and there's definitely been days and stretches this year that have been tough.

'It's not a secret. But I just tried to come in every day and be the best I could and be the best teammate I could.'

He also bravely admitted there were 'days where you don't feel like getting out of bed'. 

Giddey also struggled to get in the Thunder's starting team due to the strong form of his teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

He admitted he did not deal with his omission as well as he could have done. 

'I was probably in my own head and I wasn't being a good teammate. I just felt bad,' he said.

'Even after Game 1 (against Dallas), I was trying to be happy, but I was also so worried internally. I couldn't fully get around the guys the way I wanted to and it was a bad feeling.

'From that point on, I made a promise to myself that whether I play five minutes or 40 minutes, I'm going to be the best teammate I can be. I'm going to be up off the bench cheering for the guys and being supportive.

'That was kind of the mindset I took into the next three games. I love my teammates. So I just wanted to be there for them as much as I could.

'I've always been in a position where I'm playing a lot of minutes and starting my whole life.

'And then when suddenly things don't happen the way you want them to and the way you think they're going to pan out, how do you react?

'The first couple of games I probably was just so self-centred and worried about me that it impacted the way I was supporting my teammates and being a good teammate. I wanted to change that.

'Coach did what he thought was best for the team and to be honest, I probably agree with him.

'As hard as it is for a player to sit there and say, 'I should be on the bench', at the time Caso (Cason Wallace), Isaiah (Joe), Wigs (Aaron Wiggins), these guys were probably better in this series for Dallas.

'It's a tough pill to swallow but for a 21-year-old to go through this now it's probably a good thing and I just don't want to feel this feeling again. It'll make me a lot better and stronger as a player to never let something like this happen again.'

Despite missing out on minutes and being eligible for a lucrative contract elsewhere, Giddey was forthright in insisting he wants to remain with the Thunder. 

'This is home away from home,' he said.

'I love everything about this place — the city, the fans, the organisation top to bottom, it's just unbelievable people throughout the building. Getting to come here to work every day is so much fun.

'I just love the group of guys we've got and I'm excited to keep growing with them. Sam [Presti], Mark [Daigneault], everybody top to bottom has just been unbelievable for me this entire season.'