76ers exec accused of trashing others anonymously on Twitter
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are investigating whether team President Bryan Colangelo used a variety of Twitter accounts to anonymously trash some of his own players and fellow executives and defend himself against criticism from fans and the sports media.
The allegations, reported Tuesday by the sports website The Ringer, raised questions about Colangelo’s future and that of the NBA team itself, a rising franchise heading into perhaps its most important summer ever as it tries to attract free agents to contend for championships.
The five Twitter accounts under suspicion took aim at Philadelphia players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to The Ringer.
Among other things, the user or users of the accounts complained that Embiid, the 24-year-old All-Star center, was “playing like a toddler having tantrums” and was “a bit lazy,” “selfish” and “acting like a tool.”
The user of one of the accounts claimed to know Colangelo and described him more than once as a “class act.” The tweets also raised the question of whether Colangelo used the anonymous accounts to divulge team strategy and details about players’ medical conditions.
Colangelo acknowledged using one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry and other current events but said he wasn’t familiar with the four others.