The popular parody account NBA Centel has been banned from X (formerly Twitter), leaving fans, media personalities and even NBA teams mourning its loss. Known for its humorous and satirical takes on NBA news, NBA Centel had amassed a significant following and became a staple of NBA Twitter.
NBA Centel, which launched in 2022, quickly gained popularity for its clever parodies and fake news stories that often fooled even the most seasoned sports media professionals. The account’s name was a deliberate misspelling of the legitimate NBA news aggregator NBA Central, and its posts frequently went viral, leading to the term “getting Centel’d” when someone fell for one of its fake reports.
On February 26, 2025, NBA Centel’s account was suddenly shut down, with all its posts deleted. The exact reason for the ban remains unclear, but speculation suggests that the account’s failure to officially tag itself as a parody account may have played a role. Despite being transparent about its satirical nature, the account’s posts often blurred the lines between humor and misinformation.
The ban has elicited a major outcry from fans, media personalities, and even NBA teams. Stephen A. Smith, who had previously been duped by the account, tweeted “RIP Centel” in tribute. The Miami Heat dedicated their recent win to NBA Centel, while the Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings posted messages of support, with the Magic tweeting “#FreeCentel” and the Kings sharing “#RIPCentel”.
this is for u, NBACentel pic.twitter.com/KbYqPrB43E
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 27, 2025
“Dad tell me about NBACentel’s 2024-2025 run” pic.twitter.com/ePA3ttSkoV
—
(@kat_wrld) February 26, 2025
Yeah It’s official. There isn’t a single account on sports twitter that can say they PEAKED HIGHER than NBACentel
THIS IS INSANE pic.twitter.com/mnYuo9em4f
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) February 27, 2025
Accounts posting all kinds of violent, hateful, and racist things on this app but NBACentel can’t post jokes. pic.twitter.com/3p4nqkb5Ld
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) February 27, 2025
We’d like to dedicate this win to NBACentel
pic.twitter.com/vAxd4v10Fe
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 27, 2025
Time to raise NBACentel’s jersey to the twitter rafters. We’ll never see a talent like this one ever again
— nico
(@acmilanchampo21) February 26, 2025
“Dad how good was NBACentel in his prime?” pic.twitter.com/82aAXt6JtV
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 26, 2025
Adam Silver more worried about NBACentel than fixing the officiating
pic.twitter.com/6UZNVNW4xL—
(@MaskedInLA) February 26, 2025
NBACentel pic.twitter.com/dsDeg2hOOx
— Markelle
(@IcyLindorSznn) February 26, 2025
Centel got NBA teams tweeting about him
pic.twitter.com/9IODhfNtpG
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) February 27, 2025
nbacentel… we gon do this shit 4 u pic.twitter.com/V9hg36WFSE
— honor
(@30morehours) February 26, 2025
“dad tell me what happened to nbacentel” pic.twitter.com/wDB1P8SQGI
— 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧
(@goldenstateover) February 26, 2025
People have been seen protesting the suspension of NBA Centel in Toronto, New York, Boston and Chicago #FreeCentel pic.twitter.com/HGdUGwk2hT
— 𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓽
(@mldiffley) February 26, 2025
No way NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) got banned for posting real NBA news
— JA (@JABridgeforth) February 26, 2025
No way they got NBAcentel man
pic.twitter.com/4etE7yZdV8
—
(@aykeepitabuck) February 26, 2025
NBA Centel’s impact on NBA Twitter cannot be overstated. The account’s satirical posts provided a unique form of entertainment that resonated with fans and media alike.
