76ers co-owner wrote letter of support for Meek Mill prior to sentencing

Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill was sentenced last week to two-to-four years in prison for parole violations, but that wasn't before a 76ers co-owner came to his defense.

Michael Rubin, who also owns a piece of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, penned a letter of support for the musician, obtained by Sports Illustrated.

"Please know that I am devoted to his future and to making sure he accomplishes the goals you set forth for him," Rubin wrote in the missive to Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley.

Meek Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, was nevertheless sentenced by Brinkley for violations that included getting into a fight at a St. Louis airport in March.

The sentence has been decried as harsh by some in Philadelphia, given the rapper's charity work in the community. A support rally is scheduled for Monday, according to ABC6.