Report: Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion

A nine-month saga came to a close on Thursday morning when reports surfaced of the Boston Celtics being sold to William Chisholm.

“The Boston Globe” reported that the managing director of Symphony Technology Group had won the race for the Cs with a $6.1 billion bid.

“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” said Chisholm via businesswire.com. “I understand how important the Celtics are to the city of Boston – the role the team plays in the community is different than any other city in the country. I also understand that there is a responsibility as a leader of the organization to the people of Boston, and I am up for this challenge.”

Chisholm continued, “My partners and I have immense respect for Wyc, the entire Grousbeck family and their indelible contributions to the Celtics organization over the last 23 years. We look forward to learning from Wyc and partnering with Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla and the talented team and staff to build upon their success as we work to bring more championships home to Boston.”

When initial reports of the team being listed for sale surfaced in June, many fans worried that it would be difficult for a new owner to fill the shoes of Wyc Grousbeck, who is committed to winning and undoubtedly bleeds green.

Only time will tell, but Chisholm’s Massachusetts background is an early encouraging sign.

Adam Himmelsbach followed up with more information in a post to X shortly after the news broke, saying that Chisholm sounds as committed to basketball in Boston as any billionaire out there.

The Celtics’ sale comes ahead of what could be the most expensive season in franchise history, as the team faces up to a $500 million commitment in salary/luxury tax in the 2025-26 season.

That sort of figure opens the door for a busy summer if paying all of that dough isn’t in the new ownership’s best interest.

In addition, Grousbeck is expected to remain the team’s governor through the 2027-28 season. So, it’s tough to know exactly how soon any penny (millions and millions of dollars) pinching will begin.

The $6.1 billion figure marks the largest for a sale in American sports history, surpassing the 2023 sale of the Washington Commanders.