Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid is enjoying a sensational start to his 2023-24 campaign. The two-time defending scoring champion has played 24 games so far and has scored less than 30 points just five times this season. Despite Embiid’s incredible display of his scoring prowess, Fanatics CEO and former Philadelphia 76ers minority stake owner Michael Rubin was unimpressed. After his 42-point outing against the Charlotte Hornets in a dominant 132-85 76ers win, Rubin, who was courtside, posted a picture on Instagram with the MVP and captioned it, “These 40-point games are becoming boring Joel Embiid. Please score 50 next time p.s don’t bother me while I’m catching up on work.”
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Rubin didn’t have to wait long for a spectacular response from the big man. After scoring 40 against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, the 76ers superstar dropped a season-high 51 points in Philadelphia’s 127-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He also grabbed 12 rebounds and dished three assists in an incredible display against three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Embiid was determined to breach the 50-point barrier against the Timberwolves. With 1:49 left in the game, the 76ers were leading by 12 and could have pulled the reigning MVP out. But he was on 49 points and decided to stay in the game. He hit a mid-range jumper seconds later and was subbed out of the contest. Embiid missed a free throw when he was on 49 points and was asked about it in the post-game press conference. He jokingly responded:
“I missed it on purpose. I guess the lights were too bright. So I decided to stat pad and take the last shot to get 50.”
The win helped the 76ers improve to 19-6. They are third in the Eastern Conference standings, only two games behind leaders Bostons Celtics.
Michael Rubin’s history with the 76ers and friendship with Joel Embiid
Michael Rubin shot to fame as the founder of GSI Commerce, an e-commerce corporation. He sold the company to eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion. Later that year, Rubin founded Fanatics, one of, if not the biggest manufacturer and online retailer of licensed sportswear on the planet. Rubin, a Philadelphia native, joined an investment group led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer that bought a stake in the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011. He remained onboard before selling his stake in 2022 to focus on expanding Fanatics.
During his time as a stakeholder of the 76ers, Rubin built a friendship with Joel Embiid. The duo are often seen hanging out together. Embiid posted a hilarious birthday wish for Rubin in 2018, writing:
“What a lovely couple! Congrats on getting engaged and happy birthday to you. Better get your birthday s*x.”
Rubin once revealed a hilarious story on the Pat Bev podcast about jokingly getting in a fight with Embiid. The 76ers superstar proceeded to lift him off the ground and squeezed him hard enough to make him bleed. Rubin claimed Embiid is the only person he is terrified of.
