76ers' Rubin picked Meek Mill up in helicopter from jail to fulfill rapper's dream

Tuesday was a whirlwind day for Meek Mill.

Hours after being released from prison, the Philadelphia-born rapper - real name Robert Rihmeek Williams - watched courtside as the 76ers eliminated the Miami Heat with a 104-91 victory in Game 5 of their first-round series. One of the first people to greet Williams after he was granted bail was Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin, who had a helicopter waiting to transport him to Wells Fargo Center.

In a story for Sports Illustrated, Ben Baskin gives a behind-the-scenes look at Williams' release and his friendship with Rubin. He also explains why Rubin chose to pick Williams up in a helicopter.

Over the last five months, Meek has shared with Rubin a recurring dream that he has been having recently. In the dream, Meek sees Rubin descending down from the sky in a helicopter, landing next to the prison, and then flying the rapper away. He has told Rubin about this dream on 50 different occasions. ...

At 4:38 pm, a black 17-seat helicopter landed in a grass field behind Rubin's office. Rubin had called a friend who owns Harrah's casino, directly across the street from the prison, and asked for a favor. Meek has this dream, he said, could you make a special arrangement so I could land at the Harrah's helipad and make it a reality?