A US BASKETBALL team is investigating whether its president used anonymous Twitter accounts to slate his players and fellow executives.

Sports website The Ringer claimed that Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo used up to five anonymous accounts to disparage Philadelphia players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.

The accounts also praised Colangelo, with one branding him a “class act.”

Among other things, the user or users of the accounts complained that Embiid, the 24-year-old All-Star centre, was “playing like a toddler having tantrums” and was “a bit lazy,” “selfish” and “acting like a tool.”

The tweets also raised the question of whether Colangelo used the anonymous accounts to divulge team strategy and details about players’ medical conditions.

Colangelo acknowledged using one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry and other current events but said he wasn’t familiar with the four others.

“The allegations are serious and we have commenced an independent investigation into the matter,” the Sixers said in a statement. “We will report the results of that investigation as soon as it is concluded.”

Embiid made a few wisecracks on Twitter before saying: “All jokes aside, I don’t believe the story. That would be just insane.”

The Ringer said it had been monitoring the accounts since February, when it received an anonymous tip. It said it found numerous connections among the accounts that suggested the same person was behind them.

The Ringer said it initially asked the Sixers about just two of the accounts, and the same day the three others were suddenly made private.

Colangelo suggested that the claims may be an attempt to destroy his reputation, sending a text to a Yahoo Sports reporter saying: “Someone’s out to get me.”

And today, Twitter sleuths claimed that one of the anonymous accounts was in fact operated by Colangelo’s wife Barbara Bottini.