“Who has scissors?”“Can someone go steal a Brunson jersey?”Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin shouted for anyone within earshot on the jam-packed backstage platform before Trae Young could walk down the aisle for the WWE entrance portion of the Fanatics Games competition Saturday afternoon. The Washington Wizards guard wanted to tear up a jersey of New York Knicks hero Jalen Brunson at the Javits Center, just a few blocks away from where he usually antagonizes fans at Madison Square Garden.New Wizards teammate and 2026 No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa “walked the walk” down the aisle before Young to allow a member of Rubin’s security team to snatch a jersey from Fanatics Fest’s NBA merchandise space just in time so as to not stall the show. Meanwhile, WWE president Nick Khan stood watch to help keep the entrances moving.The jersey showed up, Rubin made some cuts and Young was off to rile up the heavily Knicks-loving crowd.Khan then introduced himself to 24-time Grand Slam tennis champion Novak Djokovic.“Novak, come pick out your mask!” someone standing by a props table said. Djokovic, known more for his drop shots than leg drops, began trying on several luchador masks before he wolf crawled down the WWE ramp to Jacob Fatu’s entrance music.“Where are Tom’s eyes?” Rubin asked.Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady had just popped on contact lenses that made it look like his eyes rolled to the back of his head.“Please move so we can spin Tom’s coffin!” a member of Brady’s team shouted.Rubin called over to his wife, Camille Fishel, who had been backed up against the black casket, to take a picture with Brady before he was wheeled out before the crowd. Brady went full Undertaker mode for his grand WWE entrance as part of the competition, rising out of the coffin before slowly making his way down the ramp to deliver a chair shot in front of the judges evaluating his performance.Brady told The Athletic shortly before climbing into the coffin, “These contacts, they’re a little itchy. I better get a 10 (score from the judges). You have to come prepared. I’m always prepared.”Tom Brady coming out of a coffin at Fanatics Fest. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Fanatics)Around this time, Rubin received word of who would follow Brady. Someone who only gave him notice he’d participate in the Games the day before. So Rubin, Fishel and UFC president and CEO Dana White darted from behind a side curtain into the crowd, landing at the judge’s table in time to watch Brady. The NFL GOAT called his shot receiving three 10s from the judges.Then WWE ring announcer Mark Nash came back out, saying the next person needs no introduction so he’s not giving him one. The iconic NWO logo flashed across the massive screen by the entrance curtain and the surprise competitor strolled out.It was Justin Bieber.He wore an NWO T-shirt, which he eventually ripped off and launched into the screaming crowd as he gave an impromptu rendition of his song “Yukon.” Bieber received two 10s from the judges and a scale-shattering 100 score from the third. Bieber reached out and shook Rubin’s hand at the end of the entrance ramp and embraced several other fans on his way out. Then Rubin and Fishel jogged up the ramp to follow Bieber out.Justin Bieber performs at Fanatics Fest. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Fanatics)Rubin pointed to Fanatics Studios CEO Michael Ratner, who has directed several of Bieber’s music videos and documentaries and is business partners with Bieber’s wife Hailey, as a primary reason for the singer’s sudden inclusion into Fanatics Games the day before he was set to perform in the World Cup final halftime show.“The thing that’s so amazing about this is just the surprises that you get,” Rubin said while The Athletic rode with him in a van seven hours later. “I had no idea until three minutes before that Justin was going to perform and just walk out there. … He didn’t decide to do (Fanatics Games) until Friday and he balled out. It was insane, and I had no idea he was gonna perform until they told me they were getting him a mic and said, ‘Give me the shirt.’”How Justin Bieber came out of nowhere to win the Fanatics GamesLarry HolderThe Athletic shadowed Rubin for more than 12 hours on Day 3 of Fanatics Fest, which ran from Thursday-Sunday, for a glimpse of a day in the life of the company’s CEO during the massive sports fan event. Rubin and his staff (and a certain reporter) logged somewhere between 20,000 to 25,000 steps on Saturday, spelling to at least 10 miles inside and outside the Javits Center.Rubin arrived at the venue’s concourse with Fishel and his two younger daughters, Romi and Gigi, a touch after 9 a.m. He walked with one daughter sitting on his shoulders while the other swung around with Fishel. Almost like a day in play land, as it was for the approximately 200,000 fans who attended this year’s four-day event, up from 125,000 over three days in 2025.Rubin and his personal and professional team headed up to the main show floor, stopping in at the MLB space, where MLB TV was broadcasting live throughout the event. Then it was up into the UFC octagon with Fishel and the girls. Rubin taught his daughters how to leg sweep by … giving both of them playful leg sweeps, of course.“We’ll finally brawl it out,” Fishel teased Rubin.Several selfies with fans and one GOAT voting request from someone dressed as an actual goat later, Rubin headed behind the scenes to where thousands of items were in the process of being autographed by athletes and celebrities in attendance. Joe Burrow was back there signing Cincinnati Bengals helmets and other items. Rubin chatted with him for a few minutes before hitting a must on Saturday’s “scavenger hunt” list — the athletes and celebrities his team said he must find and greet that day.