The curse of social media strikes again. As time passes and Twitter becomes more deeply entrenched in our everyday lives, we have seen that its effects can be impactful and damaging to people. Sometimes it provides strength for people to express themselves and at times it can expose insecurities or just be used for pure evil.
The Philadelphia 76ers have launched an in-depth investigation regarding The Ringers report of Colangelo, who has been allegedly using up to five burner accounts to criticize some of his players and former members of his staff.
The story by the website cites circumstantial evidence that paints a picture of the NBA front-office veteran using multiple anonymous Twitter accounts to support his work in Philadelphia while also to take shots at some of his team’s players, including Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, as well as former Sixers Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.
We know Kevin Durant and Skip Bayless have been accused self-manufactured fake accounts to defend themselves against attacks. But this is the first time we are hearing a high-ranking team executive using social media and going through such calculated lengths to snake his own players. Make you wonder how prevalent this is on every level. Are coaches uses dummy accounts to influence fan reaction against certain players?
When you talk about the great minds in the NBA and guys who are credited with being masters of building franchises, evaluating talent and transforming culture, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo gets those kinds of props. A two time NBA executive of the year and son of sports mogul Jerry Colangelo, Bryan is credited with having great relationships with the players and promoted within NBA circles as having great character.
After last nights report, In the words of Biggie Smalls, Things Done Changed and Colangelo is looking like the worst kind of evil idiot.
Shams Charania on Twitter
The Philadelphia 76ers have launched an investigation for the “serious” allegations on president Bryan Colangelo, who was linked to multiple Twitter accounts.
Embiid told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Colangelo called him Tuesday night to deny the tweets were from him.
“I talked to him and he said that he didn’t say that,” Embiid said. “He called me just to deny the story. Gotta believe him until proven otherwise. If true, though, that would be really bad.”
Embiid joked on Twitter about the allegations and tweeted at one of the accounts alleged to belong to Colangelo.
Joel Embiid on Twitter
BRUH
Tweets from accounts — alleged by a source cited by The Ringer to be from Colangelo— at various times questioned Embiid’s ego, blamed Fultz’s shooting woes on a former mentor of the No. 1 overall draft pick, pushed a theory that a possible Okafor trade fell apart because the big man failed a physical, and called Noel a “selfish punk.”
The same accounts also took shots at current Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who worked under and then eventually replaced Colangelo with the team, as well as previous 76ers GM Sam Hinkie, who spearheaded the early years of “The Process.”
Reports say the Sixers have not been able to tie all of the accounts to Colangelo, but the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming which really puts a spin on things. Colangelos Twitter attacks — one of which revealed medical information about Embiid possibly failing a physical — open a can of worms that the Sixers dont want to deal with. All of the attacked are people of color, as is the Toronto Raptors’ president.
Hibachi on Twitter
I’m dead lmao Bryan colangelo was really wildin on here
And trying to influence negative public sentiment against your own players on social media to accomplish whatever objectives you have as a president is downright sick. Its a tactic of Donald Trump supporters and his administration, which used social media to manipulate people and cast artificial aspersions about opposing candidates to influence the election.
Cyber racism and mind manipulation is the new form of oppression against people of color. As more details come in, Colangelo may have to answer some more questions, but the entire situation is a reminder that you cant believe everything you read on Twitter and social media is being used by people and corporations to further their personal agendas and destroy people who see them as friends under a cloak of anonymity.
Colangelo was out to straight assassinate characters, but all things eventually come to light and it’s time for Philly to tell Colangelo let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
