Adam Silver Comments on Role in 76ers' Hiring of Jerry Colangelo

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke to Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson of SiriusXM NBA Radio on Thursday about the Philadelphia 76ers' hiring of Jerry Colangelo, the team's new chairman of basketball operations.

Silver maintained he only facilitated an introduction between the sides and that league officials and the league's other owners didn't pressure the Sixers into hiring Colangelo. Rather, principal owner Josh Harris and the team's ownership group "needed to make a course correction" and felt Colangelo would improve the organization.   

With the Sixers starting 1-21 this season and top pick Jahlil Okafor constantly making headlines for his poor decisions off the court, the Sixers appeared to hit a tipping point in general manager Sam Hinkie's grand tanking experiment.

While that plan has been delayed by several factors—Joel Embiid has yet to play because of injuries, Dario Saric remains overseas and the team could have as many as four first-round picks in the 2016 draft—it's become clear the Sixers are the NBA's least marketable team.

That makes them a tough draw both on the road and at home, even in a city with a proud basketball tradition like Philadelphia.

What remains unclear is whether Hinkie's rebuild will go ahead as planned or if Colangelo will draw new blueprints for the organization. Given Colangelo's long and storied history in the game, however, it's hard to imagine he won't put his own stamp on Philly's rebuilding efforts.