Why OKC Thunder's Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander donated to a young fan in need

OKC Thunder super fan Dylan Huntzinger has been critical of Josh Giddey at times this season.

Huntzinger runs the X account @ThunderChats, which boasts nearly 35,000 followers. And he has voiced his opinion on Giddey, who got benched for the first time in his three-year career during OKC's Game 5 home loss to Dallas on Wednesday.

But when Huntzinger took to X on Sunday to share that his 3-year-old son Nova had been admitted into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for a collapsed left lung, he received numerous donations from those in the Thunder community. That included Giddey.

"As many other Thunder fans, I've been super critical of Josh Giddey this year," Huntzinger told The Oklahoman. "It was pretty big of him to rise above that for something that's bigger than basketball, still donate and try to help out a sick kid, a Thunder fan."

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Nova is doing "a lot better," according to Huntzinger, but he has experienced numerous health issues since he was born in December 2020.

When doctors performed a C-section on Huntzinger's wife, they discovered that Nova had his umbilical cord wrapped around his throat. He was deprived of oxygen for up to one minute, and he's paralyzed from his waist down as a result.

Nova also has chronic lung disease and hypotonia, which means he has decreased muscle tone in his upper body. That prevents him from being able to breathe on his own and digest food.

But it doesn't prevent Nova from remaining in good spirits throughout every obstacle that comes his way.

"He's smiling really big, laughing and having a good time," Huntzinger said. "That's kind of been a constant for him. All this crap is happening to him, but he's smiling through it all."

Huntzinger regularly updates his followers on Nova, and the Thunder community never fails to provide support.

Giddey's contribution stood out, though. And while the 21-year-old guard had no intention of publicizing his donation, Huntzinger expressed his gratitude via an X post.

Huntzinger wasn't initially sure if the donation came from the real Giddey. But he got confirmation when Giddey liked the post.

"We all see those Thunder accounts and stuff they post," Giddey told The Oklahoman. "His kid was having troubles and was in the hospital. ... I never cared if it became public or anything like that. I just did it because it was the right thing to do."

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Giddey wasn't the only person in OKC's organization who donated to Huntzinger's family. Assistant coach Dave Bliss also donated on Monday, and then came an even bigger surprise.

Huntzinger received a direct message on X at around 2 a.m. Tuesday. It was from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who'd just landed in OKC with the team following a Game 4 road win over Dallas.

"(Gilgeous-Alexander) said 'I've seen your tweets about Nova, and I just want to say I'm sorry that you have to go through all that,'" Huntzinger said. "He said 'I definitely want to help out, so send me your information and I'll get with my financial advisor and work something out.'"

Huntzinger received another DM from Gilgeous-Alexander later that day.

Gilgeous-Alexander told Huntzinger to check his PayPal. And sure enough, the Thunder star had sent a donation.

"It's truly mind boggling to me," Huntzinger said. "For the Thunder players and organization to kind of step up and see that, it's been really cool."

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Huntzinger lives in Kentucky, but he became an OKC fan when the franchise made its first-ever playoff appearance in 2010.

Huntzinger's fandom has never wavered since then. Not when Kevin Durant left in 2016. Not when the Thunder won a franchise-low 22 games in 2021.

Huntzinger watches OKC religiously, and Nova often accompanies him. And even though Nova is not verbal right now, he'll still participate in the Thunder's newest tradition of barking before games.

Huntzinger is one of the many people who has helped OKC create a tight-knit community. One with a close relationship between fans and players that isn't often seen in larger markets. One that can withstand criticism during rough stretches.

That's why basketball is so big in OKC, and yet some things are still bigger.

"They obviously support us a lot, and we appreciate it," Giddey said of OKC's fans. "They've been with us since the days when we weren't winning a lot of games to where we are now. We owe them a lot.

"(Huntzinger) needed help, and I was in the position to do it, so I just did it. ... I just wanted to help the guy out."

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Who is Dylan Huntzinger?

Huntzinger is an OKC Thunder fan who lives in Kentucky. He owns the X account @ThunderChats and is a podcast contributor for Bleav’s “Topic: Thunder.”

Huntzinger’s 3-year-old son Nova is dealing with numerous health issues such as chronic lung disease and hypotonia. For those looking to donate, Huntzinger’s Venmo is d_hunt08.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC's Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander donated to a fan in need