The Philadelphia 76ers have had a rough week in the public relations department after a report that they were planning on reducing some of their employees’ salaries amid the coronavirus crisis. They ultimately bailed on that plan, but the optics remained bad. On Thursday, things got a little brighter.
Sixers part-owner Michael Rubin, who expressed outrage over the team’s salary reduction plan and is also the chairman of the Fanatics apparel brand, announced plans to halt production of MLB jerseys and convert the facility into a production site for masks and gowns that would then be donated healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus battle.
The announcement was met with praise, and Sixers forward Tobias Harris took to Twitter to share his reaction. It’s safe to say that he approves.
🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 https://t.co/Nyns43WzAR
— Tobias Harris (@tobias31) March 26, 2020
Rubin thanked MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for agreeing to halt the production of jerseys, and said that he plans to make one million masks and gowns that will be distributed to healthcare workers across Pennsylvania, with the hopes of expanding those donations to nearby New York and New Jersey, which have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
A lack of supplies is hindering efforts to quell the spread of the disease and putting healthcare workers in danger, so it’s great to see Rubin stepping up and doing what he can to help.
As we wade through these uncertain, unprecedented, and frightening times, watching people step up and help where they can offers a bit of solace and pride. After the week the Sixers organization had, this is certainly something Sixers fans can be pleased with. Harris certainly is. [lawrence-related id=28223,28169,28133,28140]