During his tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies, All-Star forward Zach Randolph donated $20,000 annually to Memphis Light, Gas and Water to help local citizens pay their bills.
After Randolph signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason, rumors began circulating that Randolph donated $1 million to the MLGW to help people pay bills, and chaos ensued according to WREG.
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Memphis citizens flocked to MLGW kiosks around the city to find out if their bills were paid by Randolph, and the massive lines caused traffic jams and fights to break out throughout the city. Memphis police responded to several gas stations and kiosks to break up fights that occurred due to people trying to break in line.
A glitch in the system was showing customers that their accounts had been paid off, but they hadn't been and it was a hoax.
FYI: Rumor of a Zach Randolph donation for utility bills is not true.
— MLGW (@MLGW) July 8, 2017
.@MLGW is again reiterating w/ a new statement that rumors of Zach Randolph paying people's utility bills ARE NOT TRUE. (1/2) @3onyourside pic.twitter.com/ZXooNWIc7k
— Nina Harrelson 🎥 (@NinaHarrelsonTV) July 8, 2017
Eventually, Zach Randolph put an end to the rumors himself.
The rumor about me donating 1 million dollars to MLGW is FALSE. However I will make my annual $20,000 contribution to MIFA/MLGW in the fall
— Zach Randolph (@MacBo50) July 8, 2017
About an hour after Randolph's tweet, MLGW president and CEO Jerry Collins held a press conference during which he addressed the hoax and the "glitch" that caused inaccurate information to appear on customers' receipts.
"The glitch is being researched now," Collins said. "We don't know exactly what caused it, so when we find out what caused it and fix it, then that will tell us what we need to do to keep it from happening in the future."
Randolph is still making his annual $20,000 donation to MLGW in the fall, so some customers will have their bills paid off anyway.
(h/t FOX 6 Now)
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