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Did Josh Giddey purchase R. Kelly's Chicagoland mansion for $15 million? Debunking viral tweet

Fans are curious whether there's some truth to the Chicago Bulls guard-forward Josh Giddey buying R. Kelly's Chicagoland mansion. The Australian player was traded from the OKC Thunder in exchange for defensive specialist Alex Caruso last week. After the trade, fans have made a few jokes about Giddey.

The parody X account called NBACentel on Wednesday tweeted that Giddey purchased a mansion in Chicago for $15 million. The account claimed it belonged to the artist behind the hit song "I Believe I Can Fly." However, the report isn't true.

The social media account parodies the X account NBACentral, which is a source for important events or happenings in the league. NBACentel has made it known that it's a parody account and should not be taken seriously.

R. Kelly has developed a reputation for being a pedophile after being found guilty of 13 counts of child pornography and three charges of enticing a child.

The joke made by NBACentel links the singer to Giddey for his issues last season.

Giddey was accused of dating an underage girl. The NBA and police conducted investigations that led nowhere. The player said that the accusations weren't true, that he wasn't involved with someone under the legal age.

Giddey wrapped up his third season with the Thunder and had some of his career's lowest numbers. During his sophomore season, the player averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. However, his numbers dipped last year as he put up 12.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 4.8 apg.

Also read: "You guys know the real me" - Josh Giddey shares emotional message to Thunder fans after being traded to Bulls


The trade sparked from Josh Giddey's refusal to come off the bench

The Thunder's decision to trade Josh Giddey wasn't a surprise after the 21-year-old struggled during the postseason. His inability to be helpful on the offensive end didn't give the team a competitive edge in the playoffs. He averaged 8.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 2.1 apg while he shot 35.3% from beyond the arc.

According to Giddey, he didn't want to come off the bench, which led Thunder general manager Sam Presti to trade him.

"I just said to him, ‘At this point in my career, I’m 21 years old, it wasn’t something that I was overly eager to do,’" Giddey said. "He completely understood. Throughout the whole process, we were open and honest with each other. ... He got it. We worked together through the whole process and he got me to a great spot."

Giddey is on a new chapter of his career with the Bulls, a team that will likely trade its stars soon.

Also read: 'J-Dub' Jalen Williams laments Josh Giddey's OKC departure as Alex Caruso trade is finalized

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