According to a report released by ESPN on Monday afternoon, Jerry Colangelo will step down as a special adviser for the Philadelphia 76ers after his contract expires at the end of this year.
Colangelo's decision to step down comes on the heels of an embarrassing Twitter fiasco for his son, Bryan. Earlier this year, it was discovered that Bryan's wife, Barbara, was operating several “burner accounts,” as they've come to be known. At that time, Bryan was the 76ers' president of basketball operations. Shortly after this news broke, he decided to resign (June 7th).
“I haven't made any public comments about what transpired,” Jerry Colangelo told the Washington Post. “I don't think it would be appropriate. It's a very difficult summer for him and his family.”
ESPN reports that Jerry, now 78 years of age, will continue his work with Team USA, where he's served as a director since 2005.
Jerry has been a fixture with USA Basketball for quite a while. He's seen the good days and the bad, so to speak. In fact, Colangelo was there when the team finished sixth in the 2002 World Championships. Things have changed since then, however. Since claiming a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics, the squad has posted an impressive 88-1 overall record and has won the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medals, along with the 2010 and 2014 world championships.
Colangelo was debating on stepping down from Team USA when former head coach Mike Krzyzewski left in 2016. However, current USA head coach Gregg Popovich had other plans. In fact, Popovich told The Washington Post that he would only coach Team USA if Colangelo continued to direct USA Basketball.
“In my mind, that gets me through 2020,” Colangelo said. “And then, we'll see.”
Colangelo is widely-viewed as one of the most influential members of the NBA community in the last 50 years. Whether the 2020 Olympics in Japan will be his final act remains to be seen. Regardless, he's had a remarkable career.
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