By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
It's no secret that Philadelphia, a chunk of its athletes and fans are Meek Mill supporters. The Philadelphia-native was sentenced to 2-4 years in prison after violating his 10-year probation just months before it was set to end. The charges caused some uproar in the Philadelphia community and it really seemed to hit home with the professional athletes in the city, notably Malcolm Jenkins and Joel Embiid. The Eagles took the field to Dreams and Nightmares and athletes across the city have joined the #FreeMeek campaign over the past few months.
Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin had been keeping in touch with Meek Mill throughout his sentence, visiting him numerous times and bringing guys like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to the prison to as well. Good news time! On Wednesday, Meek was officially released from jail after his original court ruling was overturned by The Supreme Court. According to TMZ, Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin is planning to pick Meek up from prison and there's a high likelihood that he rings tonight's ceremonial bell before Game 5 of the Sixers first-round series against the Heat if the release process ends in time.
Just spoke to Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin. He said it’s “more likely than not” Meek Mill will attend Game 5 tonight, and he’ll ring the ceremonial bell pre-game if he can get there in time.
— Daniel Victor (@bydanielvictor) April 24, 2018
Meek tweeted out a statement shortly after his release:
I’d like to thank God, my family, and all my public advocates for their love, support and encouragement during this difficult time. While the past five months have been a nightmare, the prayers, visits, calls, letters and rallies have helped me stay positive.
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) April 24, 2018
To the Philly District Attorney’s office, I’m grateful for your commitment to justice. I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues.
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) April 24, 2018
In the meantime, I plan to work closely with my legal team to overturn this unwarranted conviction and look forward to reuniting with my family and resuming my music career.
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) April 24, 2018
Coverage for Game 5 between the Sixers and Heat begins at 8pm on NBCSP and TNT. Click here to check out our full preview!
