The NBA parody account NBACentel excels in its craft, so much so that the term “centel’d” has become a staple in the NBA social media sphere. The account even faced a brief ban on X (formerly Twitter) due to its skill in tricking audiences.
Striking a remarkable balance between plausible and utterly absurd, NBACentel’s uncanny resemblance to the popular NBACentral account—which shares actual NBA news—complicates the task of discerning fact from fiction for unsuspecting social media users. This confusion appears to have ensnared Minnesota Timberwolves announcers Michael Grady and Jim Petersen during a game against the Indiana Pacers. They began discussing Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who had criticized NBA officials and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during a postgame press conference after a close loss. This incident quickly captured media attention, providing NBACentel with the perfect opportunity to chime in.
JB Bickerstaff has been fined $100,000 for publicly criticizing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
(Via @ChrisBHayne) pic.twitter.com/r8If989HOQ
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) March 16, 2025
In classic NBACentel fashion, they posted a faux report claiming, “J.B. Bickerstaff has been fined $100,000 for publicly criticizing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.” The post appeared so realistic that the Timberwolves’ broadcast team fell for it. The night after the post, Grady began discussing the supposed fine as though it were a fact.
Timberwolves commentator got CENTEL’D. 😭🔥
Credit @automaticnba https://t.co/4HK4cfb3lM pic.twitter.com/tw1FLMq1H4
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) March 18, 2025
“You saw the J.B. Bickerstaff postgame presser,” Grady inquired.
“Oh yeah, that was epic,” Petersen replied.
“He was fined $100,000 by the NBA,” Grady continued.
“I’m sure he’s not paying that,” Petersen jested, completely unaware that they had been played by the master of deception: NBACentel. And therein lies the charm of being centel’d—you won’t realize it until the inevitable uproar on social media ensues. Another victory for NBACentel.
