According to multiple reports Monday night, NBA commissioner Adam Silver had a major role in the Sixers' hiring of Jerry Colangelo.
Both USA TODAY Sports and ESPN, citing multiple sources, reported as much, saying Silver had a "significant hand" and was "instrumental" in the connection between the Sixers and Colangelo that ultimately formed a partnership.
Also, according to the ESPN report, NBA owners had urged the league's front office to intervene with the direction of the Sixers' rebuild, which had a hand in Colangelo's eventually joining owner Josh Harris, general manager Sam Hinkie and company.
In a surprise announcement Monday, the Sixers introduced Colangelo, a Hall of Fame and longtime basketball executive, as the team's new chairman of basketball operations and special advisor to the managing general partner.
Despite the move, Harris said the Sixers, 1-21 in Year 3 of their rebuild, are staying the course and that outside scrutiny regarding the team's stagnant process had nothing to do with bringing in Colangelo. Harris said it’s "not really about national embarrassment."
"This is not a deviation from our plan," Harris said. "Rather it is an opportunity to drive our organization forward in an impactful way by adding an invaluable mind. We believe we are entering the next phase of our process, where it will be extremely helpful to have someone as experienced, as wise and as highly regarded as Jerry.
"We’re still committed to the process. I don’t expect radical changes to what we’re doing. We’re committed to Sam. We’re committed to the process. We want it to move faster."
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Colangelo said the process of joining the Sixers started and came to fruition very recently.
"A week and a half ago, this was not on the radar screen," he said. "When Josh and I started having conversations it became evident and obvious to me that he wanted something that I might be able to offer this franchise.
"I think there's something that I can offer that will be very helpful to the franchise, and that's to Sam, by way of example, who has a great reputation as a young mind in this game."
Again, Harris reiterated, this is not about changing the rebuild. It's about pushing it forward.
"Are we off to a slow start this year? Of course. We are. It's obvious. Is that frustrating? Yes, it's frustrating," he said. "But that doesn't mean that we're going to deviate from our process."