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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Will Smith, Jada Pinkett, Michael Rubin among new Sixers owners

Wall Street investors and Wharton grads Joshua Harris (Apollo Management LP) and David Blitzer (Blackstone Group) today posted the list of their fellow investors in yesterday's purchase of the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers from Comcast-Spectacor. They include:

- CEO Adam Aron, an Abington native and former head of Vail Resorts
- Martim Geller, New York, big-league financial adviser
- David Heller, a Goldman Sachs partner
- Travis Hennings, works for Harris' Apollo Management
- James Lassiter, film producer who's been a partner in Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment since the 1990s (see below)
- Marc Leder, Sun Capital Partners of Boca Raton, a buyout firm that shut down Jevic Transportation Co., idling 1,900 nonunion truckes and support workers in 2008, but also reorganized a string of troubled paper mills into Manayunk-based PaperWorks, the same year, saving roughly as many jobs as Jevic cut; another Penn grad
- Jason Levien, pro sports agent
- Michael Rubin, owner of Fanatics, which says it's the largest online seller of team-sports gear through its deals with the NBA, NFL, MBL, NHA and NCAA and more than 70 teams; also founder of eBay GSI Commerce, of King of Prussia
- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, the Overbrook-native Hollywood star and his actress wife
- Handy Soetedjo, Indonesian investor who's backed Asian basketball leagues
- Erick Thohir, an Indonesian media mogul and basketball fan
- Art Wrubel, New York real estate investor, also a Penn grad (Updated)
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 10:59 AM  Permalink | 22 comments
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:48 AM, 10/18/2011
    Please please do something more entertaining during the games. No disrespect to the dancers, but, that is so boring. People really don't want to watch other people dance during the breaks. I've been to Phillies and Flyers games and they do things to entertain the fans.
    — mstein52
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:51 AM, 10/18/2011
    Since Will and Jada "will be Sixers owners" - that must mean they bought the team from ME.....since I hold some Comcast shares the line or reasoning leads me being a former owner of the Sixers. Too bad I never realized I was in the club :(
    — storebrandmayonnaise
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:55 AM, 10/18/2011
    Store you still own the Flyers. Can I get some seats?
    — cuso20
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:01 PM, 10/18/2011
    "and founder of eBay GCI Commerce"
    It's GSI Commerce, you knucklehead.
    — jibberjab
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:08 PM, 10/18/2011
    Even with all that no one will want to see the Sixers play. Pro ball is boring.
    — Wildman Bill
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:11 PM, 10/18/2011
    Once again, Jazzy Jeff is left out.
    — Truth B. Told
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:11 PM, 10/18/2011
    Scientology is a cult.
    — comin4ya23
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:12 PM, 10/18/2011
    A cult with lots of money. Let's hope they're 'silent partners.'
    — esesjay
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:12 PM, 10/18/2011
    Jada is mighty fine
    — lefty1117
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:20 PM, 10/18/2011
    DJ Jazzy Jeff is now head janitor at the Wells Fargo Center.
    — palmyra21
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:20 PM, 10/18/2011
    Maybe Will can convince Kobe to come home.
    — SilliBilli
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:22 PM, 10/18/2011
    Will and Jada, PLEASE buy the Birds!!
    — Earl J


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About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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