The Grousbeck family stunned the basketball world on Thursday when it was officially announced that they had has sold their majority stake in the Boston Celtics for a record $6.1 billion. The Grousbecks have owned the franchise since 2002, and have stewarded the club through four NBA Finals berths and two championships in that time.
The NBA‘s winningest franchise will now fall under the purview of businessman William (Bill) Chisholm, per Scott Soshnick of Sporitco.
BIG SCOOP: @celtics sold to William Chisholm for $6.1 billion, most ever paid for a controlling stake in a sports franchise, according to a letter Irv and Wyc Grousbeck sent to their partners that was viewed by Sportico. pic.twitter.com/oXRUryGkME
— Scott Soshnick (@soshnick) March 20, 2025
Chisholm, who was raised in Massachusetts and grew up a Celtics superfan, currently serves as the managing director of his California-based private equity firm Symphony Technology Group, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
Read More: Boston Celtics Officially Have New Owner in Historic $6.1 Billion Sale
According to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Wyc Grousbeck — son of fellow co-owner Irv — will “continue to oversee team operations” and stay on as Boston’s governor and CEO through 2027-28.
Wyc Grousbeck, the current governor, will remain in that role and as CEO through the 2027-2028 NBA season, a source familiar with the deal said, and continue to oversee team operations.
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) March 20, 2025
In fairness, former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban was also expected to remain as his team’s lead decision-maker when he first sold the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families last year.
By the time the Mavericks were trading 26-year-old All-NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a fairly paltry sum in Feb., Cuban was compelled to explain that he did not have anything to do with that franchise-altering move.
Boston Basketball Partners LLC, the group fronted by Chisholm, announced the purchase in a Business Wire press release.
“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” Chisholm was quoted as saying in that press statement. “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 also spoke with Shams Charania of The Athletic about how he intends to approach the franchise moving forward.
Once pricey new extensions for six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum and two-time All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White kick in next season, Boston’s roster will arrive with a historically epic sticker tag.
New Boston Celtics owner Bill Chisholm tells ESPN: “The team is in a great place right now, and I’m very sensitive to that. Wyc, Brad (Stevens) and Joe (Mazzulla) have done amazing jobs… My approach is to win and raise banners. That’s in the near term and the long term.” https://t.co/vbKeh9YfFq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2025
“The team is in a great place right now, and I’m very sensitive to that,” Chisholm said. “Wyc, Brad (Stevens) and Joe (Mazzulla) have done amazing jobs… My approach is to win and raise banners. That’s in the near term and the long term.”
In nodding to team president Stevens and champion head coach Mazzulla, Chisholm seems to have an appreciation of the current Boston infrastructure in place. Armed with stars like Tatum and four-time All-Star small forward Jaylen Brown both in their primes, the reigning champions are in a great position to repeat this season.
Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
At 50-19 on the year, the Celtics occupy the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and have a chance to notch their second straight 60-plus win season. Provided everyone can stay healthy in the playoffs (starting center Kristaps Porzingis is a perpetual question mark), this 3-point-shooting superteam looks like one of the favorites to win it all in June, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Chrisholm: “I bleed green. I love the Celtics. When opportunity came up, I couldn’t pass it up. Wyc has done an incredible job. So why would you mess that up? I’ve had a couple of sitdowns with Brad and it’s been about aligning our goals, and extending the window of this team.”
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2025
“I bleed green. I love the Celtics,” Chisholm explain to Charania. “When opportunity came up, I couldn’t pass it up. Wyc has done an incredible job. So why would you mess that up? I’ve had a couple of sitdowns with Brad and it’s been about aligning our goals, and extending the window of this team.”
Read More: Fans React to Historic Sale of Boston Celtics
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Boston is currently set to owe $445 million in salaries and luxury tax fees for 2025-26. By the team the club fills out its full 15-man standard roster, Marks notes that the final number could balloon to the $500 million range.
The timing of the ownership sale coincides with Boston projected to have the largest payroll next year in NBA history.
The Celtics have $445M in projected salary/tax penalties in 2025-26.
That number could balloon to over $500M once the roster is filled out.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 20, 2025
Will Chisholm still be amenable to footing the bill for this team for much longer? Or will he look to make cuts, forcing Stevens to offload a supporting piece like Porzingis, White, or Jrue Holiday to save money?
Only time will tell. But Chisholm’s saying all the right stuff so far.
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