Philadelphia 76ers Latest News: Jerry Colangelo Joins Team as Chairman of Basketball Operations
The entire NBA was surprised by the news that Hall of Famer Jerry Colangelo has joined the struggling Philadelphia 76ers as chairman of basketball operations. The announcement was made Tuesday, stating that the incumbent chairman of the Board of Directors for USA Basketball will also be assuming the position of special adviser to team ownership.
The team's co-managing owner Josh Harris talked about the hiring with several reporters on hand. "Jerry Colangelo is one of the most respected people in basketball and we are excited to add his five decades of knowledge, relationships, and experience to help drive our organization forward," he said.
Colangelo's hiring may be the biggest news this year for a Sixers team who has been embroiled in several issues this early in the season, including the record-setting winless start, rookie Jahlil Okafor's off-court issues, and the overall embarrassment of the team's performance as part of its painful and highly unsuccessful rebuilding process.
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The 76-year-old former Phoenix Suns owner is one of the biggest contributors in USA basketball's success in international competitions. Since taking over the reign of US basketball as managing director, he so far has produced a record of 75-1, with the team composed of primarily NBA stars winning 63 consecutive games. He oversaw the creation of the teams that won the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and the 2010 and 2014 editions of the FIBA World Cup.
In a separate statement acknowledging his new role with the Sixers, Colangelo said that he's proud to be working in an organization with a great history of basketball. "I am excited and energized about the opportunity to work with Josh Harris and this ownership group in their continued efforts to build something lasting and special here with the Sixers. This is an organization with a storied history, strong, and talented leadership and a number of promising pieces that have the potential for a very bright future," he said.
With Colangelo on board, Sixers fans should be thanking the ownership in taking this big investment. The team is in bad shape right now that everyone just wants to see them start winning once again.
