Meek Mill Gets Hero’s Welcome At 76ers Playoff Game After Dramatic Prison Release
Now that Meek Mill is a free man his first stop was to watch his beloved Philadelphia 76ers at home in their playoff game against the Miami Heat. We’ve got his emotional return.
Meek Mill celebrated his release from prison on Apr. 24 by cheering on his beloved Philadelphia 76ers as they hoped to wrap up their first round series against the Miami Heat and advance to the next round of the NBA playoffs. The 30-year-old got a hometown hero’s welcome when he entered Wells Fargo Center and he was so overcome with emotion. The Philly native was flown back home from Chester State Prison via helicopter thanks to Sixers co-owner and pal Michael Rubin. They made it just in time for the game’s tipoff where Meek got the VIP treatment and rang the ceremonial opening bell as the crowd went nuts. Even the announcer gave him a big “Welcome home!”
It was a long and emotional day for Meek — real name Robert Williams — and such a joyous way to cap things off. He had been visited in prison by Rubin as well as comedian Kevin Hart and shortly after they left, the PA Supreme Court ordered him sprung. Rubin posted an IG pic of himself, Meek and Kevin at a past Sixers game and captioned it “@meekmill is FREE!!! Just left visiting Meek with @kevinhart4real and I’m on the way back to pick him up as we speak! #MeekisFree #GoSixers.” Rubin was hoping to get Meek back to Philly in time for the 8pm game and his release came just before 7pm EST, so the chopper was called in.
The rapper had been in prison since Nov. of 2017, serving two to four years for a probation violation that involved a summer of 2017 reckless driving arrest for popping wheelies on a dirt bike, a charge that was later dropped. The judge in his case Genese Brinkley has been notoriously harsh with the rapper for nearly a decade following a questionable drug and weapons arrest and conviction when he was just 18 back in 2007. Even the prosecutors said Meek shouldn’t do any time for the violation and Brinkley ignored their pleas and gave him a stiff prison term.
The arresting officer in Meek’s original case and only person to testify at his trial has been under investigation for misconduct and corruption. Even the Philadelphia DA’s office argued that Meek should be able to appeal his case or get a new trial. Finally on Apr. 24 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed that Meek be released on bail immediately after spending the past five months in Chester State Prison. Now that he’s got his freedom back, being surrounded by love at a Sixers game was the perfect way to celebrate!
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