According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, a familiar face appears to be back in the mix for the potential purchase of the Boston Celtics.
...or is it?
Helin reported Monday that Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the John Henry-led sports and entertainment conglomerate who owns the Boston Red Sox, will reportedly be among the bidders for the 18-time NBA champions.
Helin reports that “at least four” bids will come in from prospective bidders, with the “ultimate sale price” eclipsing $6 billion. These bids are expected to come in before “the first round of the sales process closes on January 23.” He went on to say that out of the initial group of bidders, two will be chosen in February to submit to a final round of bidding, with the caveat that if one of the bids in the first round “meets the [Grousbeck family] expectations,” they could end the process.
In addition to naming FSG as one of the four bidders, Helin also reported that current Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca is leading a “consortium” that will also be making a bid.
In September, WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported that FSG had “shown no interest and made no contact” regarding a potential purchase of the Celtics.
This sentiment was echoed by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on Monday, posting on X.com that FSG is “not involved in the bidding for the Celtics.” Bradford reposted Cotillo’s report, simply saying, “I can confirm.”
But according to Helin, this is not the case.
If FSG is, indeed, interested in buying the Celtics, and if that interest leads to a successful bid, the basketball team would be added to an international pro sports portfolio that stretches across team ownership, real estate and media properties:
- The aforementioned Red Sox, Fenway Park, Fenway South, Worcester Red Sox and Salem Red Sox
- Liverpool F.C. of the English Premier League, along with their home pitch of Anfield Stadium
- The NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins
- NASCAR’s RFK Racing
- Boston Common Golf of the TGL
- Fenway Music Company, Fenway Sports Group Real Estate, Fenway Sports Management and an 80% stake in NESN
Henry is also, individually, the owner and publisher of The Boston Globe, which he purchased in 2013 for $70 million.
FSG has long been rumored as the leader in the clubhouse to bring an NBA expansion team to Las Vegas, which would include building a brand new multipurpose venue in Sin City. The New York Post reported in August that “if the consortium pivots to the Celtics,” they would likely move on from the Nevada project.
On its surface, fans across New England should be thrilled that local billionaires are reportedly throwing their hats in the ring for the Celtics, especially ones that have had the success FSG has had since purchasing the Red Sox in 2002 for $380 million.
But since their last World Series win in 2018, the tune around the team has changed.
As FSG has added to their professional sports portfolio across the board, there has been a greater emphasis on staying under the MLB’s luxury tax rather than spending big money on marquee players. This change in mantra led to stars Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts landing on new teams, and eventual consecutive last-place finishes for Boston in 2022 and 2023.
With the Celtics’ payroll reaching unprecedented highs this offseason, an FSG purchase would immediately turn the attention to how they would handle the upcoming tax bill from the NBA.
But until that happens, rumors will continue to swirl around who will lead the charge towards Banner 19 and beyond.