Record sum for the record champion: The Boston Celtics from the NBA are to be sold for 6.1 billion dollars.
This is reported by various US media outlets. Bill Chisholm, managing partner of Symphony Technology Group, is reportedly taking over the franchise from the Grousbeck family. Never before has such a sum been paid for a club in North America.
If the deal goes through, it would financially surpass the sale of the Washington Commanders. The team from the professional football league NFL went to new owners in 2023 for 6.05 billion. The Cleveland Browns had previously achieved the highest sales price with 4.65 billion dollars. In the NBA, the Phoenix Suns (including the Phoenix Mercury women’s team) were sold for four billion in 2023.
The Grousbeck family acquired the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million and announced last June that they intend to sell their majority stake in the 18-time champions in 2024 or 2025. Wyc Grousbeck is expected to remain at the helm of the club as CEO until the end of the 2027-28 season.
Chisholm “a Celtic fan all my life”
The new owner Chisholm – who ultimately prevailed against three competitors in the final round of bidding – grew up near Boston. According to information from ESPN, Rob Hale, who already holds shares in the Celtics, is also part of the group of owners.
“I have been a die-hard Celtics fan all my life,” Chisholm said in an initial statement on Thursday evening (CET). ”I understand how important the Celtics are for the city of Boston – and the role this team plays in the community is unlike any other city in this country. […] We look forward to learning from Wyc and working with Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzula […] to build on the success to date and bring even more championships to Boston.”
The sale is subject to a thorough review process and approval by the NBA Board of Governors. This process is likely to continue at least until the summer.
