The Philadelphia 76ers are launching an internal investigation into the actions of Bryan Colangelo after a report surfaced alleging the team executive used Twitter accounts and commented about current players and colleagues. The team calls the allegations "serious."
The Ringer posted the lengthy story Tuesday night alleging the Sixers president of basketball operations has been secretly operating five Twitter accounts during his tenure with the Sixers that critiqued Sixers players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, among other NBA figures.
By Wednesday morning, the Sixers responded:
"An online media outlet filed a story linking multiple social media accounts to 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo. The allegations are serious and we have commenced an independent investigation into the matter. We will report the results of that investigation as soon as it is concluded."
Colangelo is denying the report. The accounts also took aim at former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to a report by The Ringer.
The website asked the team about five Twitter accounts it suspected Colangelo was operating. He said in a statement he used one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry and other current events, but he was "not familiar with any of the other accounts" brought to his attention and he didn't know who was "behind them or what their motives may be in using them."
Colangelo was hired as president of basketball operations for Philadelphia in April 2016. He also served as Toronto's general manager from 2006-2013.
Colangelo, the son of longtime sports executive and Sixers special advisor Jerry Colangelo, stepped in with the Sixers after Hinkie resigned. He lost his GM job in Toronto after the Raptors missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, and Ujiri took over basketball operations.
