The sale of the Boston Celtics has taken a huge step toward completion. On Wednesday, August 13, the NBA released a statement confirming it had “unanimously approved” the sale of the franchise.
Chisholm leads an investor group that has paid $6.1 billion to purchase the Celtics from the Grousbeck family.
“NEW YORK, Aug. 13. The NBA board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the controlling interests in the Boston Celtics to an investor group led by Bill Chisholm,” The press release read. “The transaction is expected to close shortly.”
Chisholm’s purchase comes after the Grousbeck family put the franchise up for sale shortly after the Celtics secured the 2024 NBA championship. The team was on the market for multiple months, as Wyc Grousbeck did his due diligence on potential investors before making his decision on which offer to move forward with.
Chisholm is a Lifelong Celtics Fan
Shortly after Chisholm’s offer to purchase the Celtics franchise was accepted, he sat down for an interview with The Boston Herald’s Zack Cox. During the interview, he explained how he’s been a Celtics fan for his entire life, having grown up on the North Shore.
“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” Chisholm told Cox. “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.”
Celtics fans will be hoping that by having a die-hard fan in control of the team, the franchise will be in safe hands. After all, Chisholm will likely be the final decision-maker on how much money the Celtics can spend above the luxury tax in the future. The hope will be that when the time comes to spend, he isn’t shy about making the finances available.
Wyc Grousbeck to Assume a New Role
When Chisholm’s purchase of the Celtics was first announced, it was reported that Wyc Grousbeck would remain as the franchise’s governor through the 2027-28 NBA season. The idea was that it would help with the transition of power while also allowing the Celtics to navigate the current retooling process.
However, on Tuesday, August 12, ESPN reported that the plan has now changed, and that Grousbeck will assume the role of “alternate governor and CEO.”
“Grousbeck will not stay on as lead team governor once the agreement is completed, ESPN reported Tuesday,” Ben Horney and Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports reported. “The two sides originally said he would stay through the 2027–28 season in the March press release announcing the deal. Chisholm will assume the role of team governor years earlier than initially planned…Grousbeck will remain as the team’s alternate governor and CEO through the 2027–28 season, two sources familiar with the matter tell Front Office Sports. Alternate governors vote on league matters when the primary governor is absent.”
After spending over $6 billion to purchase the franchise, it was always likely Chisholm would step into a governor role sooner rather than later. However, only time will tell whether that produces a positive, negative or neutral effect on the franchise.
For now, all the focus will remain on getting Boston back to a position where it can contend for a championship. Only then will the bigger questions start to generate some answers.
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