The Boston Celtics are coming off a season with their historic 18th NBA title win, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers’ record. Apart from being the team with the most NBA titles, the club recently came into the spotlight for one of the unexpected reasons.
The Celtics are reportedly up for sale with a staggering price tag of over $6 billion. Bill Simmons of The Ringer revealed the news on his Monday morning podcast. According to Simmons, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is interested in purchasing the Celtics. Simmons explained the rationale behind the hefty asking price.
“The league wants $6 billion for the team, for the Celtics. They don’t own their arena. It’s a crazy price, but they’re probably going to get it,” said Simmons.
“They want the $6 billion because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Vegas, and Mexico City is kind of looming as a third team. But they want to get $6 billion apiece for two franchises for expansion, which would mean a check of $400 million to every NBA owner, all 30. So they’re trying to establish a price for this Celtics team,” he added.
Why are the Boston Celtics on Sale?
Since 2002, Wyc Grousbeck and Boston Basketball Partners LLC have held the majority ownership of the Boston Celtics. In July, Grousbeck announced that his ownership group was selling its stake in the storied franchise.
Bill Simmons, on his podcast, shared some insights into the ongoing sale process. He revealed that Grousbeck’s father, H. Irving Grousbeck, is determined to get the best possible price for the team.
“He just wants the highest price. He’s not like, ‘Oh these local guys, let’s cut them [a deal].’ He doesn’t care. He wants the highest price he can possibly get,” Simmons said.
In addition to the Grousbeck family’s efforts, minority owner Steve Pagliuca is also in the mix, aiming to become the team’s majority owner. It remains to be seen who will ultimately emerge as the new owner of the Boston Celtics.
