Philadelphia 76ers part owner Michael Rubin is looking to sell his share of the team and Rick Ross wants in. On Wednesday, June 22, Rubin announced his impending departure from the ownership group, citing the growing responsibilities of his ownership of the Fanatics brand. With Fanatics launching a sports-betting division in the near future (a conflict of interest for anyone working in sports, let alone owning a team), Rubin is choosing his burgeoning business over his fandom. He explained the decision in a statement that he also posted on Instagram.
It didn’t take long for the business-minded Rick Ross to chime in in the comments, writing “I’ll buy his 10% lol.” While the “lol” implies that he’s joking, a lot of truth is said in jest. It would certainly make sense for Ross to cop a portion of a sports team. He’s a fixture courtside at his hometown Miami Heat games, he often makes savvy business decisions, and he’s certainly been cutting costs across the board, so he might just have the capital to buy in — provided he can put together an investment group to cover the difference. With a reported net worth of $45 million, he’s got a ways to go to reach the reported value of Rubin’s share, which has certainly grown from when the owner purchased it for $290 million in 2011. Maybe Jay-Z or Meek Mill can help out.