The Boston Celtics owned group Announced on Thursday who has agreed to sell the franchise for $ 6.1 billion to Bill Chisholm, managing director and co -founder of the Symphony Technology technology group based in California.
If the NBA Board of Governors, the Agreement will establish a record For the maximum, a professional sports franchise in North America has sold, exceeding the assessment of $ 6.05 of the NFL Washington commanders when Josh Harris bought the team in 2023. That same year, Mat Ishbia bought the Phoenix Suns for $ 4 billion, the most and the greatest amount and NBA team I had once sold at that time.
Chisholm grew a fan of Celtics in Massachusetts. His group agreed to buy the Boston Basketball Partners LLC franchise, the group of property led by the Grousbeck family.
Last July, after the franchise won its 18th Championship, the Boston Group announced that the team was on sale, but that WyC Grousbeck intended to remain governor of the team until 2028. In the press release announcing the agreement and in An interview with the Shams Charania de ESPNGrousbeck said he will need to remain governor and CEO of the team until the end of the 2027-28 season, at the request of Chisholm.
“From the beginning we expected to find the right person with the resources and the commitment to win banners and be a great person,” Grousbeck told ESPN. “Bill check each box for us. I have always been a consultant and have had the last word here with the Celtics since the family bought the team, and that will continue for the next three years and we will make the transition.”
In the press release, Grousbeck described Chisholm as “an excellent person and a true Celtics fan,” and Chisholm said he understands “that there is a responsibility as leader of the organization for the people of Boston, and I am prepared for this challenge.” In an interview with ESPN, Chisholm said he has been a “rabid fan” of the Celtics since he attended a game at Boston Garden for his seventh birthday.
“Green Sangro,” he said. “I love Celtics. When this opportunity arose, I couldn’t let it pass. Wyc has done an incredible job by directing this franchise. So why would you spoil you? The team is in a great place at this time, and I am very sensitive to that. Wyc, Brad [Stevens] and Joe [Mazzulla] We have done incredible jobs and that is all goodness that we want to continue. “
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Chisholm has had recent and deep conversations with Stevens, the president of the team, and will talk to Mazzulla, the coach, Thursday, Thursday. According to Adam Himmelsbach by Boston Globe.
“My approach is to win and raise banners,” Chisholm told ESPN. “That is in the short term and long term. I have had a couple of sitting with Brad and has tried to align our goals and extend the window of this team.”
The new property group will also include Sixth Street, a private capital firm; Rob Hale, who is currently a minority owner of the team; and Bruce A. Beal Jr., the president related to the companies, a real estate firm. Sixth Street, which has also invested in the San Antonio Spurs and in many other sports teams, agreed to invest more than $ 1 billion, According to Scott Soshnick and Ebon Novalia-Williams by Sportico.
“This was an extremely complete and rigorous sales process,” Grousbeck family said in a letter to investors, through Sportico. “We had a tremendous interest on the part of the possible control owners and we are grateful for the considerable time and effort that the bidders put in recent months, especially. In the end, Bill and the group that gathered went with a superior final offer.”
Near the end of the process, the group of potential buyers included the owner of the Celtic minority Steve Pagliuca, the owner of the minorities of Philadelphia Phillies, Stan Middleman and the Friedkin group. During the last month, Stevens met with four finalists, According to Mike Vorkunov by The Athletic, Jay King and Jared Weiss.
Pagliuca issued a statement in social networks about the result. It reads, in part, “we made a fully guaranteed and financed offer at a record price, with the best sports fans in the world, and with all the capital from people who are completely committed inside and outside the Court. Sorry to discover that we have not been selected in the process.”
In the statement, Pagliuca said that “he will never stop being Celtic”, and he and his partners “are ready to return to the game and bring him home” if the agreement with Chisholm is not approved.
In 2002, the Grousbeck family bought the team for $ 360 million.
