The global coronavirus pandemic has hit the sports world hard. Games have stopped worldwide with no immediate return in sight. It has also meant plenty of financial uncertainty for employees of teams and arenas who work hourly wages for *much* less money than the athletes.
While several NBA teams and players have pledged to take care of those hourly arena workers, Philadelphia 76ers managing partner Josh Harris initially planned salary reductions across the organization. Harris, who has a reported net worth of $3.7 billion, wanted to force at-will employees (making at least $50,000 in salary) to take a 20 percent pay reduction. He also wanted front office and coaching staff members to volunteer to the pay reduction.
Only at-will employees — over $50K a year in salary — are required to accept the Sixers salary reductions. Those under contract are needed to "volunteer" to do it. https://t.co/irBrW1DNpm
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2020
Again, given Harris’ immense wealth, NBA fans were furious with Harris and the Sixers ownership. The negative response was so widespread that Harris trended on Twitter for much of Tuesday, especially after Joel Embiid stepped up to pledge $500,000 to help Sixers employees.
our king ($35m) stepping up to do what josh harris ($3.7b), david blitzer ($1.3b), and michael rubin ($2.9b) are refusing to. thank you, joel. https://t.co/g367UzR8mW
— Zainab Javed (@zrjaved) March 24, 2020
Forbes values the Sixers at $2 billion.
Josh Harris, a private equity investor who co-founded Apollo Global Management, owns the Sixers. Harris is worth an estimated $3.7 billion. https://t.co/Pq9MgSsdNx
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) March 24, 2020
The @sixers organization is a joke. Josh Harris doesn’t care about the team, the players, the fans, yet alone the employees who work so hard…Sixers are run by a bunch of 🤡’s. @ScottONeil https://t.co/HiQP2FZW0K
— C Dub W (@REALCJW) March 24, 2020
Yeah, this feels like one of those things you do when you’re trying to get someone to quit so that you don’t have to pay them out.
But their contracts say what they say. Don’t think Sixers’ employees should give back a dime just because Josh Harris and co. want some more. https://t.co/tHchQSeQZG
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 24, 2020
Josh Harris is also an owner of the @NJDevils. What a disgrace he is. https://t.co/mHXFRqQbiM
— Mike Ferrara (@Mike_Ferrara15) March 24, 2020
Joel Embiid just donated 1.4% of his net worth.
The equivalent of 0.013% of Josh Harris' net worth.
— Josh Lyons (@TheLyons_Den) March 24, 2020
Tired: becoming a Flyers fan because the Sixers suck and they were on a wild run
Wired: becoming a Flyers fan to root against the Devils so that Josh Harris can lose money
— shamus (@shamus_clancy) March 24, 2020
Josh Harris really is a scumbag man, Joel shouldve never been put in this situation to begin with https://t.co/ZEYh45dJuK
— Hoops Reference (@HoopsReference) March 24, 2020
Sixers owner Josh Harris does not want anybody to know he is worth approximately $3.7 billion so after hearing the Sixers are reducing staff salaries by 20 percent you should definitely not tell people that Sixers owner Josh Harris is worth approximately $3.7 billion. https://t.co/1sq7KxgFSU
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) March 24, 2020
Billionaire Josh Harris shamelessly cuts employees’ pay.
Highly-paid employee @JoelEmbiid uses HIS wages to help them recoup lost pay.
That’s one hell of a rebuke.#Sixers https://t.co/4OJHUWG6em— Marcus Hayes (@inkstainedretch) March 24, 2020
The PR disaster and public shaming actually worked here as the Sixers changed their mind on the salary reductions by Tuesday afternoon. They called it the “wrong decision” in a statement to ESPN.
Sixers ownership statement to ESPN: ''….After listening to our staff and players, it's clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salary." https://t.co/0mn1NthccQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2020
Harris had to know how it was going to end. They really never should have considered the salary reductions in the first place.
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