Former Raptors’ GM Colangelo admits to tanking

Bryan Colangelo admits that he set the Raptors up to tank a few years ago. (Getty Images)

Tanking has been a cantakerous issue over the past few years. It's looked at as a disingenuous way to set your team up if you're hoping they fail while trying to sell season tickets to a fan base that wants wins. While it may end up being better for the future of your ball club, a lot of people don't accept this as an honest tactic. That doesn't stop general managers from putting together bad teams in the hopes of securing top draft picks. Just ask Bryan Colangelo.

From 2006-2013, Colangelo was the general manager of the Toronto Raptors. After experiencing immediate success there that included a 47-win season in 2006-07 and an executive of the year award from the NBA, the magic in Toronto eventually wore out. Colangelo apparently set his team up to tank in the 2010-11 season after Chris Bosh left via free agency for the Miami Heat.

Former GM Bryan Colangelo: "Admittedly, I will say I tried to tank a few years ago."

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) February 28, 2014

Colangelo added that he never told the coach of the team, Jay Triano, to lose games. He just didn't give Triano much to work with in his final season as the Raptors' coach. The team went 22-60 that season and ended up with the fifth pick in the draft. They used that pick to grab Jonas Valanciunas out of Lithuania, who is now looked at as a cornerstone for that franchise.

Some of the moves Colangelo made prior to the 2010-11 season were a sign-and-trade that allowed Bosh to easily go to the Heat. He received the Raptors' pick that was traded away in 2009 when Toronto traded with the Heat for Shawn Marion. He also received the pick that would become Norris Cole, which was moved for James Johnson of the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls later moved Cole to the Wolves who moved him to the Heat. Colangelo also traded Hedo Turkoglu to the Suns for Leandro Barbosa and Marco Belinelli to the Hornets for Julian Wright.

Colangelo was fired this past offseason after being replaced by Masai Ujiri.

Topics: Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Jonas Valanciunas, Julian Wright, Marco Belinelli, Norris Cole, Shawn Marion, Toronto Raptors, NBA

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Larry Brown: Allen Iverson says Allen Iverson was greatest player ever

Confidence was never Allen Iverson’s issue.

The guy who might be the first you think of when you think of Philadelphia 76ers basketball (that Dr. J guy was pretty good, too) will have his number retired by the organization on Saturday night. It’s the hottest ticket in Philly.

Talking Iverson, Bryant Gumbal and HBO Sports went to the coach that got the most out of him — Larry Brown. Who is having a very strong season as the coach of SMU.

What followed was Larry Brown describing vintage Iverson (credit Ben Golliver at SI’s The Point Forward for the transcription):

Bryant Gumbel: “When’s the last time you talked to him?”

Larry Brown: “He was here about a month ago. He spoke to our team, Bryant, and it was the most unbelievable talk I’ve ever heard. Our kids were spellbound. And he was so open and honest with ‘em. He talked about the good things he did and the things he’d like to change, which weren’t a lot. But the one thing that stuck out in my mind, one of the kids said, ‘Who’s the best player to ever play?’ Who do you think he said?”

Bryant Gumbel: “Himself.”

Larry Brown: “Allen Iverson. And he said, ‘I’m not disrespecting Michael [Jordan] or Magic [Johnson] or Julius Erving or any of those guys.’ He said, ‘I couldn’t have done what I did at my size if I didn’t feel that way.’”

Long live Allen Iverson.