Twitter controversy erupts as PiPress reports K-Love extension [UPDATED]

When a contract extension is done, K-Love will be happy to report it himself, thank you very much.

​Kevin Love has agreed to a 4-year, $62 million extension with the Timberwolves!... or has he?

Around 8 p.m. last night, the Pioneer Press' Ray Richardson -- a relatively low-profile T-Wolves beat reporter -- put his reputation on the line by tweeting that a deal is done. But shortly thereafter, other Wolves reporters and K-Love himself took to the Twittersphere to refute Richardson's report.

The episode serves as a fascinating example of how quickly misinformation can be disseminated in the social media age.

Here's the tweet that started the controversy:

K-Love agrees to 4-year, $62M extension with T-Wolves. Will sign deal tomorrow in Dallas

-- TwolvesNow (@Twolvesnow) January 25, 2012

Richardson's tweet was retweeted by hundreds of followers within minutes, and a report based on his tweet was soon published on ESPN's homepage. People tweeted at Richardson to congratulate him for getting the scoop. But within minutes, a plethora of basketball reporters began to cast doubt upon Richardson's report. Shortly after Richardson tweeted that the K-Love extension was done, Star Tribune Wolves beat writer Jerry Zgoda tweeted the following:

Re: Love's contract...everything I've heard all day had me thinking for 1st time it WON'T get done & I don't think anything's changed tonite

-- Jerry Zgoda(@JerryZgoda) January 25, 2012

As confusion mounted, K-Love himself weighed in, casting further doubt upon Richardson's report with the following ambiguous tweet:

If you read it on the Internet it must be true right? #sarcasm

-- Kevin Love (@kevinlove) January 25, 2012

Despite the fact that his ballsy deal-is-done tweet was almost certainly based on faulty information, Richardson is sticking to his guns. Just before midnight, he tweeted:

Time to surface! Never said K-Love had signed. Said he WILL sign Wed. Reliable source gave up the numbers: 4 yrs, $62M. Lawyer(s) in Dallas

-- TwolvesNow (@Twolvesnow) January 25, 2012

The deadline for the Wolves to sign Love to an extension is 11 p.m. tonight. Richardson better hope he ends up signing for four years, $62 million, otherwise how will readers ever be able to take his reports seriously again?

:: UPDATE ::
A few hours after this post was published, ESPN reported (and Kevin Love confirmed) that the Wolves and K-Love agreed to a 4-year, $62 million extension (with an opt-out clause not reported by Richardson). It appears NBA observers still have good reason to pay attention to Richardson's reports after all.   

Also read:
-- T-Wolves, Love nearing Wednesday contract deadline [VIDEO]