It isn’t very often that a professional sports franchise is sold, let alone one that is extremely successful and famous. However, that is exactly what happened on Thursday.
Here is the full story.
On Thursday morning, the Boston Celtics owners announced that they are selling the team for $6.1 billion to William Chisholm. Approval of the deal is pending with the NBA Board of Governors:
Chisholm is a co-founder and managing partner of Symphony Technology Group, a private equity firm. He previously worked for Boston-based Bain & Company. Chisholm is a native of Georgetown, Massachusetts, and a Dartmouth College graduate, The Boston Globe reported.
In a statement about the sale, Chisholm said he was a lifelong Celtics fan.
“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” Chisholm said. “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.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the $6.1 billion deal becomes the largest sale for a sports franchise in North America. It surpasses the $6.05 billion sale of the Washington Commanders in 2023.
The Celtics have consistently been one of the best teams in the NBA. Here is a look at their last 10 seasons:
| Season | Lg | Team | W | L | W/L% | Finish | SRS | Pace | Rel Pace | ORtg | Rel ORtg | DRtg | Rel DRtg | Playoffs | Coaches | Top WS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | NBA | Boston | 50 | 19 | .725 | 1st of 5 | 7.96 | 96.3 | -2.7 | 120.0 | 5.7 | 111.3 | -3.0 | J. Mazzulla (50-19) | J. Tatum (8.4) | |||
| 2023-24 | NBA | Boston | 64 | 18 | .780 | 1st of 5 | 10.75 | 97.2 | -1.3 | 123.2 | 7.9 | 111.6 | -3.7 | Won Finals | J. Mazzulla (64-18) | J. Tatum (10.4) | ||
| 2022-23 | NBA | Boston * | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st of 5 | 6.38 | 98.5 | -0.6 | 118.0 | 3.2 | 111.5 | -3.3 | Lost E. Conf. Finals | J. Mazzulla (57-25) | J. Tatum (10.5) | ||
| 2021-22 | NBA | Boston * | 51 | 31 | .622 | 1st of 5 | 7.02 | 96.6 | -1.6 | 114.4 | 2.4 | 106.9 | -5.1 | Lost Finals | I. Udoka (51-31) | R. Williams (9.9) | ||
| 2020-21 | NBA | Boston * | 36 | 36 | .500 | 4th of 5 | 1.32 | 98.3 | -0.9 | 114.0 | 1.7 | 112.5 | 0.2 | Lost E. Conf. 1st Rnd. | B. Stevens (36-36) | J. Tatum (6.5) | ||
| 2019-20 | NBA | Boston * | 48 | 24 | .667 | 2nd of 5 | 5.83 | 99.5 | -0.8 | 113.3 | 2.7 | 107.0 | -3.6 | Lost E. Conf. Finals | B. Stevens (48-24) | J. Tatum (6.9) | ||
| 2018-19 | NBA | Boston * | 49 | 33 | .598 | 3rd of 5 | 3.90 | 99.6 | -0.4 | 112.2 | 1.8 | 107.8 | -2.6 | Lost E. Conf. Semis | B. Stevens (49-33) | K. Irving (9.0) | ||
| 2017-18 | NBA | Boston * | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2nd of 5 | 3.23 | 96.0 | -1.3 | 107.6 | -1.0 | 103.9 | -4.7 | Lost E. Conf. Finals | B. Stevens (55-27) | K. Irving (8.9) | ||
| 2016-17 | NBA | Boston * | 53 | 29 | .646 | 1st of 5 | 2.25 | 96.8 | 0.4 | 111.2 | 2.4 | 108.4 | -0.4 | Lost E. Conf. Finals | B. Stevens (53-29) | I. Thomas (12.5) | ||
| 2015-16 | NBA | Boston * | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2nd of 5 | 2.84 | 98.5 | 2.7 | 106.8 | 0.4 | 103.6 | -2.8 | Lost E. Conf. 1st Rnd. | B. Stevens (48-34) | I. Thomas (9.7) | ||
| 2014-15 | NBA | Boston * | 40 | 42 | .488 | 2nd of 5 | -0.40 | 95.8 | 1.9 | 104.7 | -0.9 | 104.5 | -1.1 | Lost E. Conf. 1st Rnd. | B. Stevens (40-42) | T. Zeller (6.5) | ||
| 2013-14 | NBA | Boston Celtics | 25 | 57 | .305 | 4th of 5 | -4.97 | 93.3 | -0.6 | 102.9 |
