Winning a championship usually means you’re on top of the world. For Wyc Grousbeck, it apparently meant it was time to cash out. Just days after the Boston Celtics hoisted their 18th banner in June 2024, the news dropped like a lead balloon: the team was for sale. Fans were stunned. Why sell now?
Honestly, the numbers answer that question pretty quickly.
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If you’ve been wondering how much did the Boston Celtics sell for, the figure is staggering. We aren't talking about a small jump in value. We're talking about a record-shattering transaction that changed the math for every professional sports team in North America.
The Massive $6.1 Billion Price Tag
On March 20, 2025, the world finally got the number. The Boston Celtics were sold for $6.1 billion.
Think about that for a second. When the Grousbeck-led group bought the team back in 2002, they paid $360 million. They basically turned a massive investment into a 1,600% return. That is some serious "estate planning," which was the official reason Wyc gave for the sale.
The deal officially closed on August 19, 2025, after the NBA Board of Governors gave it the unanimous thumbs up. It didn’t just break NBA records; it hopped over the $6.05 billion price tag the Washington Commanders fetched in the NFL. For a few months, the Celtics were the most expensive sports franchise ever sold in North America.
Who actually bought them?
It wasn't just one person with a giant checkbook. The group is led by William Chisholm, a private equity heavyweight and co-founder of Symphony Technology Group (STG).
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Chisholm is a local guy—born in Georgetown, Massachusetts, went to Dartmouth—and he’s spent his life "bleeding green." He didn’t do it alone, though. The ownership group includes some heavy hitters:
- Rob Hale: The Granite Telecommunications CEO who was already a minority owner.
- Bruce Beal Jr.: President of Related Companies.
- Sixth Street: A massive global investment firm that’s been snatching up sports stakes everywhere.
- Aditya Mittal: Another big name in the world of global industry.
Why the Sale is Kinda Weird (The Two-Step)
Most of the time, when you buy a car or a house, you hand over the keys and the old owner leaves. The Celtics sale is... different. It's a "two-tranche" deal.
Basically, Chisholm’s group bought 51% of the team right away at that $6.1 billion valuation. But Wyc Grousbeck isn't packing his boxes just yet. He’s staying on as the team’s Governor and CEO through the 2027-2028 season.
The second half of the sale—the remaining 49%—won't actually happen until 2028. And here’s the kicker: experts like those at The Associated Press expect that by the time the final 49% changes hands, the total valuation of the franchise might hit $7.3 billion.
It’s a smart move for the Grousbecks. They get to keep running the show for a few more years while the team's value continues to climb toward the moon.
The Jaylen Brown Factor
You can't talk about the Celtics' value without talking about the players. Right around the time of the sale, Jaylen Brown started making a lot of noise about "player equity." He basically argued that if the team's value is jumping by billions because of what the players do on the court, the players should get a piece of that growth.
While the current CBA mostly blocks players from owning stakes in their own teams, Brown’s point highlights why the price hit $6 billion. The NBA is a money-printing machine right now, and the Celtics are its flagship.
What This Means for the Future of the Team
You might be worried that a private equity guy taking over means the team will start penny-pinching. Chisholm has gone on record saying the opposite. He wants to "raise banners now and in the future."
But there is a massive financial hurdle coming up. The Celtics' payroll is projected to be around $500 million when you factor in the luxury tax penalties. That is an insane amount of money for any owner to swallow.
There’s also the "stadium problem." Currently, the Celtics play at TD Garden, which is owned by the Delaware North Companies (who also own the Bruins). This means the Celtics lose out on a ton of revenue from concessions and concerts.
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With $6.1 billion on the table, there is already talk of the new ownership group looking to build a Celtics-only arena somewhere in Boston. If they can control their own building, that $7.3 billion valuation in 2028 starts to look like a bargain.
The Market Ripple Effect
When the Celtics sold for $6.1 billion, every other owner in the league started salivating. If a team in Boston is worth $6 billion, what are the Knicks worth? What about the Warriors?
This sale set the "floor" for NBA expansion. If the league decides to add teams in Las Vegas or Seattle (which everyone expects to happen soon), the entry fee for those new owners is going to be at least $5 or $6 billion.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Investors
If you’re following the business side of the NBA, keep these factors on your radar as the Chisholm era begins:
- Watch the 2028 Deadline: That is when the full transfer of power happens. Until then, Wyc Grousbeck is still the face of the front office.
- Monitor the Arena News: If Chisholm starts scouting land for a new stadium, the franchise value will skyrocket even further.
- The Luxury Tax Test: The biggest sign of the new owners' commitment will be whether they keep paying the massive "repeater tax" to keep Tatum and Brown together.
- Equity Shifts: Keep an eye on the next CBA negotiations. Jaylen Brown's push for player equity could change the entire structure of how these multi-billion dollar teams are owned.
The sale of the Boston Celtics wasn't just a business transaction; it was a signal that the NBA has entered a completely different stratosphere of wealth. Whether that translates to more championships remains to be seen, but the "Green" in Boston has never been worth more.