76ers vs. Heat: Wearing Joel Embiid jersey, Meek Mill rings Sixers' ceremonial bell prior to Game 5
Update:
Meek Mill was indeed in attendance for Game 5, and he was there in time to ring the Sixers' ceremonial bell. He did so wearing a Joel Embiid jersey, which brought a huge ovation from the crowd.
Original story:
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court granted bail to Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, as TMZ and Billboard reported Tuesday, and 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin is apparently the one who's picking Meek up from prison.
"Meek Mill is free!" Rubin posted on Instagram, hours before the Sixers' potential series-clinching NBA playoff game against the Miami Heat. "Just left visiting Meek with (Kevin Hart) and I'm on the way back to pick him up as we speak."
That's no coincidence, however, as Rubin has long campaigned for the release of the incarcerated hip-hop artist, who's elicited support from around the city's professional sports scene in recent months.
When the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said in March that there was a "strong showing of likelihood" that a November conviction of the 30-year-old rapper would be reversed, a number of Philadelphia Eagles voiced their support for Meek. Proclaiming Mills' "Dreams and Nightmares" song their unofficial anthem leading up to and during the Super Bowl, Malcolm Jenkins, Jalen Mills and former teammate Torrey Smith, among others, either attended rallies in support of the rapper or spoke out about the "unfair criminal justice system" that imprisoned Mill for a gun charge brought against him 10 years earlier.
Rubin, meanwhile, piggybacked off the Eagles' support by organizing prison visits with some of the Sixers' own players, bringing Joel Embiid to see Meek in December, then accompanying youngsters Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz for a stop at the rapper's Chester, Pennsylvania, jail for some added postseason motivation.
A native of South Philadelphia, Mill was a noted guest at 76ers games before being sentenced to two to four years in prison in November 2017 for a violation of parole, which stems from a 2008 charge of illegally possessing a firearm. In a statement shared by TMZ, Billboard and other media upon his Tuesday release, he thanked "my good friend Michael Rubin" among others.
And he might be back on the Sixers' court as early as Tuesday night.
Just spoke to Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin. He said it’s “more likely than not” Meek Mill will attend Game 5 tonight, and he’ll ring the ceremonial bell pre-game if he can get there in time. — Daniel Victor (@bydanielvictor) April 24, 2018
It didn't take long for the Eagles to celebrate Meek Mill's release, either. They shared video of the team running onto the field for Super Bowl LII, with "Dreams and Nightmares" blasting, shortly after Meek's own statement arrived on Twitter.