Opinion
‘I was going to throw red wine in his face’: Boomers coach Goorjian’s staunch defence of Giddey
Andrew Webster
Chief Sports WriterBoomers coach Brian Goorjian has revealed he almost hurled a glass of red wine at a Sacramento Kings fan who was mercilessly abusing Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey at an NBA game late last year.
Given the legendary national coach’s fondness for quality vino, that’s saying something.
Goorjian knew trouble was afoot when he went to take his seat at the Golden 1 Center and found a card warning supporters about abusive behaviour.
At the time, Giddey was the subject of a police and NBA investigation after claims emerged on since-deleted social media posts that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor two years ago.
“I’d never seen anything like it,” Goorjian said of the abuse. “I’m behind the scorers’ bench and a player was inbounding the ball to Josh at half court and the whole stadium stands up and boos.
“I’ve had guys like Chris Anstey go over there as young men and really struggle in the NBA environment, but here’s a kid, 20 years old, and the whole stadium is going nuts. Security guards were grabbing guys – it was intense.
Josh Giddey playing for the Boomers against Venezuela in Melbourne last year.Credit: Getty
“What the guy was saying behind me was out of line … I turned around and was going to throw my red wine in his face. It was getting really, really uncomfortable.”
Goorjian saw Giddey after the match and was told: “You should see what it’s like in Chicago. You should see New York.”
Giddey was 19 at the time of the alleged relationship with the high school student but reportedly ended it when he learned she was 15.
Newport Beach Police in California dropped its investigation in January because it was “unable to corroborate any criminal activity” while the NBA ended its investigation in May on similar grounds.
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian.Credit: Getty
Giddey has never specifically addressed nor clarified the allegations publicly.
While the matter heavily weighed on him last season, Goorjian believes the Paris Olympics will be the 21-year-old’s time to shine.
“He’s coming out the other side of this,” Goorjian said. “He’s gone through a lot and he’s come out the other end. He’s got a toughness to him. He’s stronger than when he left Australia.”
Giddey has returned to Melbourne for a pre-Games camp late next week ahead of warm-up games against China. He popped up on the Instagram account of model Maki Lesko as the pair partied.
On Friday morning, it emerged that the Thunder had traded Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for defensive guard Alex Caruso.
Josh Giddey playing in Sacramento last December.Credit: Getty Images
He was too young to play in the Boomers’ Tokyo Olympics campaign when they clinched bronze – the country’s first senior men’s basketball medal at a major tournament.
Goorjian has already made it clear Giddey will run the show in Paris.
“There’s an excitement about being with his mates in the green and gold and having the ball in his hands,” he said. “He couldn’t get here quick enough. When I started doing this, I wondered if the NBA guys would play for me. It’s a long season blah blah … This kid cannot wait to don that uniform and have the ball in his hands and be a Boomer.”
Speaking of uniforms, Giddey was one of several past and present players to slam the design of the Boomers’ singlet, which has an Indigenous design. He called it an “absolute joke” while Jock Landale said it “looks like we are off to throw javelin”.
Whatever their feelings, you sense Goorjian won’t have much time for fashion concerns when the squad meets next week.
“They say it looks like a track athlete’s singlet,” he said. “It’s the Olympics. You travel economy, you have shared rooms, you put on the green and gold. I don’t care what it looks like. Does anyone really give a shit? Throw it on my back. I’m representing Australia at the Olympics. Let’s go. We’re coming to play.”
Betting on Gil
When former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan was revealed earlier this week as chief executive of battling wagering operator Tabcorp, it didn’t take long for the question to be asked: how’s that going to play out with Racing NSW counterpart Peter V’landys?
Former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan was announced as the new CEO of Tabcorp this week.Credit: Getty Images
The pair have so far been respectful, even playful, with their public comments – a far cry from a couple of years ago when V’landys, as rugby league’s supreme leader, scorched the AFL at every turn.
Typical of the AFL’s haughty attitude towards everything other than itself, McLachlan wouldn’t lower himself to mention either V’landys or rugby league in a comical interview with your humble correspondent in 2021.
“We have great respect for all sports and what they’re doing,” he said. “We’re doing our bit and we respect what everyone is doing.” He then said the same thing for the next 20 minutes.
While the pair are saying the right things about each other now, there’s that pesky $6 million claim from Racing NSW in the Supreme Court because of Tabcorp’s alleged failure to properly promote the annual Everest and Kosciuszko races at Randwick.
Cheese comes back fresh
We told you in this space last week about the troubles of Roosters hooker Brandon Smith and how he had lost the faith of not just senior officials but players.
After being stood down for last weekend’s win over Parramatta, Smith has been named to start against Canterbury in Gosford on Saturday.
Say what you want about Smith, and many have, but his remarks this week on The Bye Round podcast this week were refreshing. While other players and coaches blame the media for the negative headlines concerning them, Smith is wise and humble enough to understand who’s at fault.
“You’ve got to take the good days with the bad days and recognise that because you’re in the papers for being bad, it’s because you’re being bad,” he said.
“They don’t purposely target you all the time and you’re usually in there for doing something negative, if you can turn that around and do something positive you’re going to get in the papers for doing something positive.
“Journos get a bad rep … they report what’s the hot news and I don’t have any concerns about them writing bad stuff about me because at the moment, I’m not being good enough and I’m not doing what’s up to the Roosters standard.”
Origin hits fall flat
NSW coach Michael Maguire lit the fuse – apparently – for Origin II when he accused Queenslanders of living in “glasshouses” for claiming Joseph Suaalii had targeted Reece Walsh.
Joseph Suaalii was sent off for this high shot on Reece Walsh.
Asked who he was specifically talking about, Maguire told reporters: “You can work it out.”
Which reporters only did after being backgrounded off the record.
Asked to respond, Queensland coach Billy Slater said: “I don’t understand”.
Worst. State of Origin. War of words. Ever.
THE QUOTE
“I don’t have babysitters here. I’d like to go and take my missus out every night to Chin Chins. But my life isn’t like that. I’ve got to travel three hours to go and see my family. That’s what I sacrificed to move here and chase a dream. People don’t understand that.” – NSW centre Latrell Mitchell. We thank you, Latrell, for your sacrifice.
THUMBS UP
The Ballarat-trained sprinter Asfoora upset a quality field to claim the Kings Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. It was the first group 1 victory of his career and what a way to do it: in front of the King and Queen and other fancy-schmancy people in top hats and the like.
THUMBS DOWN
Rory McIlroy fluffed two three-footers in his last three holes to hand the US Open to Bryson DeChambeau on a silver platter. He then hightailed it out Pinehurst without shaking his hand, nor fronting the media, preferring to communicate his disappointment in an Instagram post.
It’s a big weekend for … the AFL universe as it takes a long, hard look at its future - and a potential grand final later this year - as the top-of-the-table Sydney Swans play fifth-placed GWS Giants at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday afternoon.
It’s an even bigger weekend for … Australia and Bangladesh as they clash at the impressively named Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup. I didn’t particularly care about this tournament until I read about England bitching and moaning about the “spirit of cricket” again and now I want Australia to crush them like a paper cup in the final.
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