NBA’s Boston Celtics Sold For Record $6.1 Billion

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Boston Basketball Partners LLC, owner of the Boston Celtics, has inked a deal to sell the team for $6.1 billion to an investor group led by William Chisholm, a lifelong Celtics fan and Boston-area native, pending a green light from the NBA Board of Governors.

If approved, this appears to be a record deal for a North American sports franchise, topping the Snyder family’s $6.05 billion sale of the NFL’s Washington Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris in 2023.

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Current owners led by the Grousbeck family bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million. The family indicated last summer that the team was for sale shortly after set an NBA record with its 18th championship.

Wyc Grousbeck will continue in his roles of CEO and Governor overseeing team operations through the 2027-2028 season, the current ownership group said in its announcement of the sale.

In addition to Chisholm and Grousbeck, group includes prominent Boston business executives and philanthropists Rob Hale (a current Celtics owner) and Bruce A. Beal, Jr., President of Related Companies, as well as Sixth Street, a global investment firm, among others.

“Bill is a terrific person and a true Celtics fan, born and raised here in the Boston area,” Grousbeck said. “His love for the team and the city of Boston, along with his chemistry with the rest of the Celtics leadership, make him a natural choice to be the next Governor and controlling owner of the team. I know he appreciates the importance of the Celtics and burns with a passion to win on the court while being totally committed to the community. Quite simply, he wants to be a great owner. He has asked me to run the team as CEO and Governor for the first three years, and stay on as his partner, and I am glad to do so.”

“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. “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.”

Chisholm is managing director and co-founder of Symphony Technology Group.

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