3 key takeaways from Boston Celtics $6.1 B sale to Bill Chisholm

On Thursday, news emerged that the Boston Celtics are gearing up for a change of ownership. After nearly 25 years with the franchise, Wyc Grousbeck has decided to sell to Bill Chisholm.

Last summer, reports emerged that Grousbeck wanted to sell the Celtics. This followed Boston's winning its first NBA championship since 2008. After months of rumored suitors, a deal has been agreed upon.

Moving forward, the Boston Celtics will be owned by Bill Chisholm. He is the co-founder of Symphony Technology Group, an equity firm based out of the West Coast. Chisholm and Grousbeck agreed on a massive $6.1 billion price tag for the Celtics.

Seeing that the Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA, them changing hands is a big news in the basketball landscape. Aside from the steep price, here are some of the key takeaways from the league's latest sale.

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Takeaways from the $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics:

1) Massive return on investment

Among the biggest takeaways from the sale of the Boston Celtics is Wyc Grousbeck's massive return on investment. Since buying the team back in the early 2000s, he's watched the value of the franchise skyrocket.

The Grousbeck family first bought the franchise for a price of $360 million. 23 years and a pair of NBA titles later, the team has now sold for billions of dollars. This sale gives the family a return of $5.7 billion for the Celtics.

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2) Sale sets new record in North American sports

Another takeaway from the Boston Celtics changing hands is the precedent it has set on sports sales moving forward. They have continued a trend of rising price tag for franchises in North America.

At $6.1 billion, the Celtics have now set a new record for the highest sale of a sports franchise in the country. The record previously sat at just over six billion when the Washington Commanders of the NFL were sold in 2023.

With their own record-setting number, the Celtics have set a new standard when it comes to the steep investment that is buying a professional sports team in the "big four" (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL).

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3) It's time for the NBA to start eyeing expansion

The last major point from the Celtics being sold has to do with the NBA as a whole. Seeing that the franchise went for more than expected, it's time for the league to start seriously considering expansion.

With basketball becoming a global game, talent is coming from more places than ever. Between a deeper talent pool and the NBA bringing in more money than ever, the time has come to start integrating new franchises across the country.

Expansion is something Adam Silver has touched on in the past, and now that the Celtics sale is wrapped up, it's time for it to hit the forefront of discussion.