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.
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.
“Chisholm, a Dartmouth graduate, grew up in Georgetown, Mass., and is a longtime Celtics fan,” wrote Adam Himmelsbach.
Himmelsbach followed up with more information in a post to X, saying that Chisholm sounds as committed to basketball in Boston as any billionaire out there.
Updated: A source close to William Chisholm said the new Celtics owner intends to buy a home in Boston, watches every game, and has an “encyclopedic knowledge” of the team.
Also, the new ownership group includes Celtics minority owner Robert Hale.
More: https://t.co/uBgpmbsZcm
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) March 20, 2025
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.
