Adam Silver has encouraged the Philadelphia 76ers to both quickly and thoroughly resolve the investigation into whether team president Bryan Colangelo used Twitter inappropriately Ethan Pocic Jersey , a story that the NBA commissioner acknowledged was not one he wants to be thinking about during the league’s title series.
Silver, speaking Thursday before Game 1 of the Cleveland-Golden State matchup at the NBA Finals news conference, said he has talked with 76ers officials after the story about five Twitter accounts and how they were used was broken by The Ringer earlier this week.
”Here we are, Game 1 of the finals, it’s not necessarily something that we want to be talking about,” Silver said. ”But it’s the reality of this league. And so I have no information beyond that, other than that investigation is underway.”
The 76ers retained an independent law firm to determine whether Colangelo used the Twitter accounts. The situation could overshadow Philadelphia’s efforts this summer to land any of the top players who will be free agents – a list that includes LeBron James, who’s appearing in the NBA Finals for the eighth consecutive year.
Among the targets of harsh or critical comments on those Twitter accounts: Philadelphia players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. Embiid has said he does not believe that Colangelo wrote the tweets, dismissing the story as ”insane.”
Colangelo has acknowledged using one of the accounts to monitor NBA happenings.
”Let’s find out what’s going on,” Silver said. ”We have to separate the chatter and sort of what either fans or frankly the media are saying from the facts. The first thing we have to do here is determine what the actual facts are in this circumstance.”
Silver touched on many other topics in his annual address, including:
SPORTS BETTING
There will be wagering on Game 3 of the NBA Finals, at least in Delaware casinos.
That state’s officials have announced that full-scale sports betting will begin there at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday Randy Moss Jersey , one day before the series between Golden State and Cleveland shifts to the Cavaliers‘ home floor.
Delaware is the first state to take advantage of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that now permits states to allow sports wagering. Delaware has been permitted to offer parlay wagers on NFL games since 2009, and has had sports betting legislation on its books for nearly a decade. Other states are trying to follow suit quickly.
The NBA has told states it is seeking a 1 percent cut of betting, which it is calling an ”integrity fee” to help offset the costs of enforcement incurred by the league office and also to serve as a royalty.
”The real issue as we move to new jurisdictions that are legalizing sports betting is access to information,” Silver said. ”That’s one of the things we have sought in model legislation … and so what we can do is going to depend in large part on the quality of the information we can get from these states.”
Silver said the NBA game is the league’s ”intellectual property, and we think we should be compensated for it.”
STERLING BROWN
Silver has seen the footage of police using a Taser on Milwaukee guard Sterling Brown during an incident outside a Walgreens store in January, one that started over a parking violation.
”I saw the video for the first time when the public saw it,” Silver said. ”It’s horrific. For any of us, regardless of the fact that he’s an NBA player, it was difficult to watch. It’s painful.”
An officer approached Brown for illegal parking, called for backup and six squads responded. Silver said has also had conversations with the player’s father, Chris Brown, a Chicago police officer for many years.
”It’s a reality in our country right now that there’s a disconnect often between young people of color especially and police officers – incidentally black and white,” Silver said. ”And one of the things the league has undertaken, led in many ways by our players and by our leading players Earl Thomas III Jersey , has been defined ways to build bridges in communities to create dialogue directly between young people and police officers.”
Silver said some NBA teams have had meetings with police in various communities, trying to improve relations.
EXPANSION
Silver said there are no plans for expansion, though lauded the success of the NHL’s first-year Vegas Golden Knights – who are in the Stanley Cup final against the Washington Capitals.
He also congratulated Ted Leonsis, who owns both the Capitals and the NBA’s Wizards.
”Invariably, it’s only natural for any business to grow and expand at some point,” Silver said.
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Dallas Keuchel had a different catcher before throwing his first pitch for the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Everything worked out just fine with Tim Federowicz behind the plate with the former AL Cy Young Award winner throwing some of his best breaking pitches all season.
Keuchel struck out seven and allowed only two runs over seven scoreless innings, winning for only the second time in his last nine starts, as the Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-3.
”Some of the shape it was taking early was really good. (Shin-Soo) Choo leading off the game, anytime you get him to swing and miss at a breaking pitch, it’s acting pretty good, and then (Nomar) Mazara struck out looking with a slider away,” Keuchel said. ”Both of those balls had good action and I knew from the then on if I could establish the fastball in to the lefties, it would be a good day.”
Josh Reddick and Tony Kemp homered for the Astros, who are 11-4 this season against their instate division rival Sammy Watkins Jersey , with seven consecutive road wins in the series. Houston is a majors-best 31-14 on the road this season.
Keuchel (5-8) struck out the first four batters he faced, and six of the first seven.
After catcher Brian McCann went on the disabled list and had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier Tuesday, manager A.J. Hinch said Max Stassi would do the bulk of the catching. But Stassi got hit by a pitch batting in the first, and left the game with a bruised right (throwing) wrist before even taking the field on defense.
”I think we avoided a fracture, very good for us,” manager A.J. Hinch said. ”Got him pretty good in the wrist. Got a welt there, couldn’t flex his hand, hand so mobility.”
X-rays were negative and Stassi is considered day to day.
Keuchel had only thrown a few bullpens with Federowicz in spring training, and a live BP session, before the catcher was called back from Triple-A Fresno earlier Tuesday.
”The way he handled the game not expecting to play, that was really impressive,” Keuchel said.
Choo later walked twice and had two singles to extend his career-best on-base streak to 43 games, the longest in the majors since Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman’s 46-gamer two years ago. Choo is three games shy of Julio Franco’s team record of 46 in a row set 25 years ago.
The Astros used three relievers to get through the eighth. Texas already had a run in before Hector Rondon took over against pinch-hitter Joey Gallo, who worked a 12-pitch at-bat into a two-out walk to load the bases before Robinson Chirinos struck out. Rondon then worked the ninth for his sixth save in eight chances.
Houston went ahead to stay in the first when Yuli Gurriel and Reddick had RBI doubles off Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-2) Ronnie Lott Jersey , who still managed to get through six innings. He struck out four, walked two and hit two batters.
”To get through six in that situation was huge for us,” manager Jeff Banister said. ”Early on it didn’t look that it was going to be the case, a situation where really didn’t have a whole lot of sink on the fastball. … For us to still have an opportunity there through those innings, it was big-time by him.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: SS Carlos Correa, out since June 26 with lower back soreness, has been working out daily in Houston. Hinch said it was uncertain if Correa will be ready to play Friday when eligible to come off the DL. He hadn’t gone through any baseball activities yet.
Rangers: RHP Tony Barnette left the game after a 2-1 pitch to Marwin Gonzalez in the eighth. The Rangers said he had a right shoulder strain and would be evaluated further Wednesday. … 1B Ronald Guzman had two hits and scored twice after being activated from the seven-day concussion DL.
SHORT HOPS
The Astros have homered in 23 consecutive road games, a club record and four from matching the MLB record set by Oakland earlier this season. … Before Bibens-Dirkx plunked Stassi in the first inning, Rangers pitchers had gone 22 games without hitting a batter – the longest span for the team since 1998.
DOUBLE DOUBLED UP
Astros leadoff hitter George Springer was in a 3-for-46 slide before a single in the sixth. But he was also doubled off twice on hard lineouts.
UP NEXT
Gerrit Cole (9-2) will pitch on regular rest for the Astros after they made a slight tweak in their rotation. Lance McCullers Jr., who was scheduled to start, was instead pushed back to Friday. Rangers lefty Mike Minor (6-4) took a perfect game into the seventh inning of his last start, a win last Wednesday over the San Diego Padres.