According to an ESPN report, the Philadelphia 76ers ownership group, led by CEO Scott O’Neill, met Tuesday night to review findings of an investigation into the actions of Colangelo, the team’s general manager, and Colangelo’s wife.
League sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the matter might be resolved Wednesday.
Colangelo’s troubles began last week when TheRinger.com reported the existence of five Twitter anonymous accounts that had leaked information about the 76ers and taken shots at the team’s coach and some of the players. The accounts also tweeted favorable opinions about Colangelo while denigrating Philadelphia’s former GM, Sam Hinkie.
The original article produced circumstantial evidence that Colangelo was behind the burner accounts, but subsequent media reports pointed the finger at his wife, Barbara Bottini.
According to ESPN, the law firm retained by the 76ers to investigate the matter interviewed Colangelo and his wife separately on Sunday and Monday.
Colangelo, a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, denied knowledge of four of the five Twitter accounts.
“Like many of my colleagues in sports, I have used social media as a means to keep up with the news,” Colangelo said in a statement after the initial report was published. “While I have never posted anything whatsoever on social media, I have used the @Phila1234567 Twitter account referenced in this story to monitor our industry and other current events. This storyline is disturbing to me on many levels, as I am not familiar with any of the other accounts that have been brought to my attention, nor do I know who is behind them or what their motives may be in using them.”
One of the accounts reportedly passed along private medical information about then-Sixers center Jahlil Okafor plus gossip about other players, including star big man Joel Embiid.
Embiid said he got a call from Colangelo, refuting the report.
“Gotta believe him until proven otherwise,” Embiid told ESPN last week. “If true, though, that would be really bad.”
–Field Level Media
