Investigative journalist Pablo Torre is looking into LeBron James' use of a Fanatics-branded helicopter to travel between New York City and Philadelphia while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2026-27 season.
Torre revealed to Front Office Sports that NBA owners have been sending him tips about the arrangement, asking him why James has access to the helicopter. The flights have been covered through James' existing Fanatics partnership, with similar trips reportedly costing between $4,000 and $10,000 each way.
The story has now taken a surprising turn, though, with Torre reporting that NBA sources are questioning whether Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, a former minority owner of the 76ers, helped persuade James to join Philadelphia during Fanatics Fest 2026.
"League sources have been wondering if former Sixers minority owner Michael Rubin flipped LeBron, convinced him to sign with the Sixers at Fanatics Fest," Torre said on a recent episode of his "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast. "Of course, when we asked Sixers PR for comments, they didn't provide any. So, this is not me alleging this is cap circumvention. It is me pointing out; this is pretty funny. It is a pretty funny series of apparent coincidences for a helicopter that lots of people have asked questions about."
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Rubin became a minority owner of the 76ers in 2011, but sold his stake in 2022, explaining that Fanatics' growing business interests made it difficult to balance both roles. James later signed a multi-year trading card partnership with Fanatics in January 2024, two years before signing a two-year $8 million deal with the 76ers.
What's drawing attention now, however, is the timing. Fanatics Fest, the company's annual sports convention, ran July 16-19 in New York City, with James appearing at the event alongside other high-profile athletes. Just five days later, on July 24, James announced he was joining the 76ers.
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The NBA recently fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million, stripped the franchise of five first-round draft picks, and suspended owner Steven Ballmer for one year after finding the team had circumvented salary-cap rules with superstar Kawhi Leonard.
This situation involving James, Rubin, and the 76ers is more complicated, but it could raise similar questions if the NBA determines something may have influenced James' decision to join Philadelphia. If the league launches an official investigation and finds evidence of salary-cap circumvention, the consequences could be significant.