Colangelo said that he used a particular Twitter account to monitor various NBA newsNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said that he has "no knowledge of the origin or motives of four Twitter accounts" he allegedly is linked to in a report published yesterday by The Ringer, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. The report showed tweets "critical of the Sixers’ rebuild and specific players" that were from "five different Twitter accounts." The Sixers confirmed that one of the accounts "belonged to Colangelo." Colangelo said that he "used it to monitor NBA news" (USATODAY.com, 5/30). The team in a statement said it has "commenced an independent investigation into the matter" and will "report the results of that investigation as soon as it is concluded" (THE DAILY).
CENTER OF ATTENTION: 76ers C Joel Embiid said that Colangelo called him last night to "deny the tweets were from him." Embiid said, "I talked to him and he said that he didn't say that. He called me just to deny the story. Gotta believe him until proven otherwise. If true, though, that would be really bad." Embiid also "joked on Twitter about the allegations and tweeted at one of the accounts alleged to belong to Colangelo" (ESPN.com, 5/29). ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski cites sources as saying that Colangelo has been "actively reaching out to individuals mentioned in those burner accounts, insisting that he isn't responsible for those tweets" (TWITTER.com, 5/30).
INITIAL REPORT: THE RINGER's Ben Detrick cited a source as saying that Colangelo has been using the Twitter accounts as a platform to "criticize NBA players," including Embiid and former Sixers Cs Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel and to "publicly debate the decisions of his own coaching staff, as well as critique" former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie and Raptors President Masai Ujiri. The source also said that the accounts were used to "disclose nonpublic medical information about Okafor and gossip" about Embiid and Sixers G Markelle Fultz to members of the national and Philadelphia media. Of the five accounts, one "followed media members, Sixers employees, and NBA agents but never tweets," and there are "four that have posted tweets or replied to other users." Of those four, "one was active" between April '16-May '17 and "two were active within the past five months." One was "posting several times a day and as recently as last week." The Ringer last Tuesday "emailed the Sixers and shared the names of two of the accounts." Within hours of a follow-up call that afternoon, all three of the accounts that had not been shared with the team "switched from public to private, effectively taking them offline." Since The Ringer contacted the Sixers, one account has "unfollowed 37 accounts with ties to Colangelo" (THERINGER.com, 5/29).
JOB IN JEOPARDY? ESPN’s Jay Williams said if the accounts did belong to Colangelo, then he "has to be fired." Williams: "If you are influencing things and almost sabotaging guys like Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel ... that can’t fly." ESPN’s Maria Taylor noted Colangelo has been in the NBA for three decades, and said, "You know better than to hop on Twitter and potentially create these accounts or decide that you’re going to air grievances or talk about other players on a fake account." Taylor added, "You would have to be fired" (“Get Up!,” ESPN, 5/30). ESPN’s Mike Golic Jr. said having a burner account is "pretty commonplace in the world of Twitter." Golic Jr.: "What’s not common is someone with the position like this and more importantly, the five. It seems so egregious" (“Golic & Wingo,” ESPN Radio, 5/30). FS1’s Shannon Sharpe said, "It’s one thing for Kevin Durant to have a burner (account). ... But for a general manager of an organization to have up to five burner (accounts) and he’s criticizing other general managers, he’s criticizing players on his own team, this is going to cost him his job" (“Undisputed,” FS1, 5/30). ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said Colangelo "should be fired" if the report is true. Smith: "You cannot have an executive leading the way conducting themselves in that kind of fashion" (“First Take,” ESPN, 5/30).
TWITTER REAX: Deadspin's Barry Petchesky: "Colangelo made the mistake of coming at the one NBA player who’s never offline." Screenwriter Michael Weber: "This is so damning I wonder of they’ll bring Jerry back to clean it up." NBC Sports' Dan Feldman: "Colangelo's biggest (alleged) mistake: Bashing Woj in those tweets. A bad enemy to have in this situation." Former President Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer: "The Sixers offseason is off to quite a start." Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel: "As a crisis management strategy, if innocent, he should be doing every media interview joking about this, mocking the story. Not a criminal matter, no reason for public silence." ESPN's Rachel Nichols: "I have no inside info *at all* on the Bryan Colangelo story, but just separately -- the idea that in 2018 anyone thinks 'that’s just too ridiculous to be true' is an adequate denial, um...well, there are some recent national events one might want to consider there." Complex Sports' Max Rappaport: "I’m supposed to believe that an account that calls Bryan Colangelo 'Big Bryan' and wrote a damn 500-word comment defending him after the Ringer article came out isn’t BC himself?"
