The NBA was the first of all major North American sports leagues to not only embrace the rise of the world wide web, but the social media revolution that followed a decade or so later. It has also benefitted greatly from its insistence that its fans are allowed to freely shared NBA-derived content (peep this Ime Udoka mix) on all manner of websites or social media releases.

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The NBA might also be the first team to draw a line, however unofficial, in the sand regarding the jabs that teams and players throw at each other with their @ replies, or (whatever the NBA deems to be) worse.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon released information about a memo sent to each squad, as they attempt to rein in the many accounts of its teams’ players, coaches, front office workers and (especially) their teams’ social media arm:

The NBA sent a memo to all 30 franchises this week regarding rules prohibiting the “mocking and/or ridiculing” of opponents or game officials by teams on social media.

The memo from NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum stated that some recent social media postings on official team accounts had “crossed the line between appropriate and inappropriate” and cited concern that “such conduct can result in ‘Twitter wars’ between players that can cause further reputational damage and subject players to discipline by the League.”

The memo cited three specific examples of material that would be inappropriate for posts on official team accounts: Disparage, belittle or embarrass an individual opponent or game official; Mimic or impersonate an opponent or game official in a negative manner; or Criticize officiating or the NBA officiating program.

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The three examples may have included the hilarious (yet rather one-sided) back and forth between oft-injured Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons, and Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum.

The discussion between those two and the Trail Blazers’ Twitter account was funny to all, but there’s no denying it vaulted from harmless to somewhat cruel with McCollum’s final twist:

To be fair, the NBA 3-point line is really, really far away from the basket. pic.twitter.com/dHusI9cHcW — Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 28, 2017





@trailblazers good luck in the lottery show this year✊???? — Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) January 28, 2017





We hit the lottery by not signing you https://t.co/eSiBaNT061 — CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) January 28, 2017





The recent work of the Sacramento Kings may also have been noted, including the team’s well-shared digs at two of the 18 teams they’ve downed in 2016-17 (they’ve beaten the Pistons, Raptors and Timberwolves twice!):





This one's for the Land… pic.twitter.com/GiJ2wSEoOZ — Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 26, 2017





CLEVELANDDDD THIS IS FOR YOU!!! pic.twitter.com/xPu89PnTQQ — Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 26, 2017





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You probably also recall the time when, during the 2015 postseason, the man running the Houston Rockets’ Twitter account decided to offer this brand of analysis …

View photos (Courtesy Twitter.com) More

… which later led to an apology from, um, someone else at Twitter.com/Rockets …

Our Tweet earlier was in very poor taste & not indicative of the respect we have for the @dallasmavs & their fans. We sincerely apologize. — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 29, 2015





… and the eventual parting of ways between the original author and the Rockets.

And who could forget the tweet that started it all? Charlie Villanueva, then a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, tweeting at halftime:

In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up. — Charlie Villanueva (@CVBelieve) March 15, 2009

Story continues