NBA exec reportedly operated five secret Twitter accounts to criticize players and staff

Anonymity on Twitter is sacred, and here's a delightful reason why it still rocks.

On Tuesday, The Ringer published an in-depth investigation into five outspoken, basketball-focused Twitter accounts, laying out the considerable evidence that Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo was actually the one secretly operating them all.

A deep-dive into the accounts' activity showed that Colangelo was allegedly using these anonymous accounts as a way to vent about his players and coaching staff, and defend (and even leak) his own strategy and choices.

The tweets read like they're written by a somewhat unhinged crusader on some very specific topics. One of Colangelo's alleged accounts even defends Colangelo's fashion choices -- specifically, the size of his shirt collars. What is this guy doing??

A huge amount of Twitter sleuthing went into the discovery, and has continued on Twitter since the revelation. An anonymous tipster apparently analyzed a trove of data from the accounts to initially make the connection. Explains The Ringer:

The source explained that they worked in artificial intelligence and, after noticing a “bunch of weird tweets” directed at Sixers writers, used an open-source data analysis tool to link five accounts through commonalities including similarities in who the accounts followed and linguistic quirks.

The investigation also placed Colangelo at the time and place of the events about which many of the accounts were tweeting -- with specific details that only an insider would notice or know. And beyond its following and tweeting about the NBA, the accounts also have links to Colangelo's family, friends, and business parters.

Startlingly, the accounts criticize with very specific details the players and staff of the 76ers. They argue that Colangelo should get credit for turning the team around, not Colangelo's predecessor. And they criticize players for acting childish, embarrassing the team, and not respecting their injuries. They also occasionally "telegraphed" 76ers strategy before trades were made.

After The Ringer published its report, the good citizens of Twitter attempted to discern further links through the phone numbers connected with the anonymous accounts. Deadspin concluded that the accounts are not associated with Colangelo's known phone number -- but that doesn't mean it's not him.

This isn't the first time public figures have used the anonymity of Twitter to air their feelings. Kevin Durant and James Comey both recently made waves when their secret accounts were discovered.

But, recently, the speed at which memes, jokes, and news travel on Twitter has made the platform lose some of the collective spontaneity that made it just so fun in the past. A hot-headed, high-profile, public figure secretly using the platform to let off narcissistic steam is a reminder of the ways this platform can still actually surprise us, and, just make us laugh.

Cheers to the Twitter sleuths.