Report: NBA owners urged Adam Silver to make changes to 76ers

NBA owners and commissioner Adam Silver reportedly had a hand in the Philadelphia 76ers’ hiring of Jerry Colangelo as the team’s new chairman of basketball operations and special advisor.

NBA owners and commissioner Adam Silver had a hand in the Philadelphia 76ers’ hiring of Jerry Colangelo as the team’s new chairman of basketball operations and special advisor, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

According to the report, Silver was under pressure from the owners to interfere with the struggling Sixers. Windhorst reports that NBA owners have been lobbying for a change to the Philadelphia team since the summer of 2014, and that Silver was “instrumental” in the hiring of Colangelo.

The complaint from owners is that the 76ers are causing economic problems for the rest of the league. Games featuring the Sixers as opponents often have the lowest attendance rates of any games throughout the season.

The 76ers are 38–148 over the past two years and are 1–21 to start this season. Their only victory of the 2015–16 campaign came against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 1.

Philadelphia ranks 17th in road-attendance percentage this season, which is better than their No. 21 ranking from last season. However, it is plausible that teams are forced to lower their ticket prices when the 76ers are the visiting team.

• Colangelo’s input can help 76ers, but ‘process’ doesn’t need interrupting​

The 76ers are currently in the process of implementing their rebuilding plan under general manager Sam Hinkie. Windhorst speculates that Colangelo will have “major influence on the team’s decisions going forward.”

- Xandria James