A few seasons ago, fans on social media would see a post from the popular Twitter/X account NBA Central and believe it to be factual reporting on basketball. However, Central’s popularity wound up creating a bunch of imitators, but the ones who succeeded were the ones who used a similar posting style to NBA Central for complete misinformation.
‘NBA Centel’ was the most famous misinformation account on the app, and was suddenly banned for the same. Even though the page is responsible for fake news that has affected teams and players, everyone is coming together to honor the account that many saw as humorous.
NBA teams such as the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic posted messages on X for Centel. The Kings posted ‘RIP Centel’, while the Magic posted ‘Free Centel’ to get the page back on the app. More teams such as the Houston Rockets and others joined in on the mourning procedures.
The Atlanta Hawks seem to rejoice at the page being shut down, “No more getting Centel’d.”
Even Stephen A. Smith sent out a message to the popular misinformation page, “RIP Centel.”
A major brand like Overtime compared Centel’s run of misinformation to the prime Golden State Warriors from 2017 to 2019. Even NBA2K got in on the fun.
“Today we lost a generational talent. The word GOAT is thrown around so much nowadays that it loses its significance. Without a shadow of a doubt, Centel you were the GOAT. Hail fellow well met. Goodnight sweet prince. A first ballot Twitter hall of famer,” said O’Shea Jackson Jr, Ice Cube’s son.
“I find some comfort and peace in knowing that NBA Centel and Timberwolves Brasil are together now,” said a fan who isn’t happy about losing yet another popular fan page.
Centel’s popularity came despite being a fake news page because of the humorous takes which many kept falling for. He stood on the shoulders of giants who popularized the misinformation genre such as ‘Ballsack Sports’ and ‘Buttcrack Sports.’ These pages have been around for years, but nothing could match the widespread appeal of what Centel had achieved over the last two seasons.
We might see the account return in some way or the other, but it’s surprising to see how everyone’s rallying around their return. The fact that so many NBA teams used their social media to comment on it shows how impactful Centel became on NBA Twitter. Everyone recognizes their stories are fake, but the angles they take are still hilarious.
Centel involuntarily promoted treated media literacy, as these misinformation accounts prove that you can’t believe anything you see on the internet. Their presence over the last few years means fans and more recognized them as a fake news portal, that provided entertainment, not reporting on basketball.
We don’t know if this account will ever return to the platform, but if they don’t, it was a great run that clearly will be remembered by millions.
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