Sixers investigating Colangelo allegation

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,” and “selfish.”

The user of one of the accounts claimed to know Colangelo and described him more than once as a “class act.”

Colangelo acknowledged using one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry but said he wasn’t familiar with the four others.

“The allegations are serious and we have commenced an independent investigation into the matter,” the Sixers said in a statement.

Magic: Steve Clifford was announced as the new coach of the Magic, a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past six years. Clifford — who spent the past five seasons as coach of the Hornets — was an assistant coach on Stan Van Gundy’s Magic staff for five years, including during the team’s most recent playoff run in 2012.