Will Smith, Jada Pinkett, Michael Rubin among new Sixers owners
Hollywood, Indonesia, Philly connections in a mostly New York group that's buying the NBA's 76ers
Will Smith, Jada Pinkett, Michael Rubin among new Sixers owners
Joseph N. DiStefano
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)
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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- 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
- Store you still own the Flyers. Can I get some seats?— cuso20
- "and founder of eBay GCI Commerce"
It's GSI Commerce, you knucklehead.— jibberjab - Even with all that no one will want to see the Sixers play. Pro ball is boring.— Wildman Bill
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- Once again, Jazzy Jeff is left out.— Truth B. Told
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- Scientology is a cult.— comin4ya23
- Jada is mighty fine— lefty1117
- DJ Jazzy Jeff is now head janitor at the Wells Fargo Center.— palmyra21
- Maybe Will can convince Kobe to come home.— SilliBilli
- Will and Jada, PLEASE buy the Birds!!— Earl J
- Kobe sold out to LA, Will will always be Philly.........— Earl J
- Thsi move reeks of desperation, nice try but it takes more than celebrities to make a quality basketball team— Bob Sacamano
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- Everybody in West Philly get free tickets to every game....— Cool 1
- Yo Wildman Bill. Isn't there a hockey board that no one cares about for you to troll on? How about NASCAR? All which btw trail the NBA pathetically in TV ratings and merchandise sales.— JLH
- The only place to watch an NBA game live is in the box. Fully stocked bar and food makes it worth while.— gho_matt
- Don't let the Occupy Philadelphia crowd see this list of owners.— AvoidSundanceVacations
