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Report: Sixers' Co-Partner Michael Rubin was 'Outraged' Over Employee Pay Cuts

Sixers' Co-Partner Michael Rubin is reportedly upset with Josh Harris' decision to issue pay cuts for organization employees during the coronavirus pandemic.
Justin Grasso|
Report: Sixers' Co-Partner Michael Rubin was 'Outraged' Over Employee Pay Cuts
Report: Sixers' Co-Partner Michael Rubin was 'Outraged' Over Employee Pay Cuts

The Philadelphia 76ers' ownership has upset a lot of people on Monday night. Just as everybody thought the Sixers were the good guys by issuing arena workers their paychecks despite being out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization went ahead and decided to issue pay cuts for salaried employees.

Harris-Blitzer Sports and Entertainment CEO Scott O'Neil issued a statement on Monday night stating the following:

"As we navigate this evolving COVID-19 environment, we are mindful of the long-term impact the suspension of live events and games will have on our organization and industry. To ensure we can continue to support and operate our businesses during these uncertain times without reducing our workforce, we are asking our full-time, salaried employees to temporarily reduce their pay by up to 20 percent and move to a four-day week."

Not all Sixers employees were subject to fall under a pay cut. However, if an employee was scheduled to make over $50,000 this year, they were going to be asked to take up to 20-percent of a pay cut, according to ESPN NBA Insider, Adrian Wojnarowski.

Obviously, this news didn't sit well with employees and fans of the Sixers. Also, it apparently didn't sit well with one of the co-partners of the team, either. Sixers' minority partner, Michael Rubin, has always had a strong bond with players of the team.

But he especially wasn't thrilled to hear that team employees will see a pay cut during such tough times. After hearing Harris' decision, which Rubin was not a part of making, the Sixers' co-partner was reportedly "outraged," and "upset," according to The Athletic's NBA Insider, Shams Charania.

Fortunately, Harris has decided to reverse the decision at this point. After seeing the backlash that occurred among many, the Sixers will no longer follow through with asking individual employees to take less money as the NBA remains suspended.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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