Bryan Colangelo on Twitter investigation: 'This is clearly not me'

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo continued to maintain his innocence Wednesday evening as the franchise investigates whether he used burner Twitter accounts to criticize players and former colleagues and reveal team business.

“Someone’s out to get me,” Colangelo told Yahoo Sports by text. “… This is clearly not me.”

Colangelo later told Yahoo Sports that while he can’t be sure someone deliberately set him up, he maintains the accounts are not his. He added that he’s “hopeful to resolve this soon.”

The 76ers are investigating whether Bryan Colangelo used Twitter accounts to criticize the team’s players. (AP)
The 76ers are investigating whether Bryan Colangelo used Twitter accounts to criticize the team’s players. (AP)

The Ringer’s Ben Detrik published a story Tuesday that showed similarities in language and content among five accounts that were frequently used to complain about players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie and current Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, who previously worked under Colangelo in Toronto. Colangelo admitted to using one account mentioned in the report, @phila1234567, but said it was merely to monitor basketball news.

Colangelo also told Yahoo Sports that he did not operate the accounts.

A two-time NBA executive of the year with the Suns and Raptors, the 52-year-old Colangelo took over his current role in 2016 after Hinkie – who spent years accumulating draft picks and assets in a long-range rebuilding plan – quit rather than lose authority in the front office.

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Follow Jordan Schultz on Twitter and Instagram @Schultz_Report

Jordan Schultz is an NFL, NBA and NCAAB insider/analyst for Yahoo Sports.

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