The Boston Celtics made headlines in the basketball world this week when it was reported that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had expressed interest in buying the team, per The Ringer’s Bill Simmons. Many were curious as to what the report meant, including what it would mean for the second-richest man in the world to own the NBA’s most successful franchise and how it might affect the Celtics’ legendary tradition.
Those questions could be answered if we believe The Information’s Nick Wingfield: According to a person close to billionaire Bezos, he “has no plans to bid” on the Celtics, Wingfield reported on Tuesday.
“Sports media has been abuzz since Monday about the possibility that Amazon’s billionaire founder is considering an offer to buy the team, after podcaster Bill Simmons confirmed the rumor on his show,” Wingfield wrote. “But a person close to Bezos said there’s ‘no truth to the idea’ that he’s interested in buying the team.”
Wingfield is a veteran technology correspondent who has covered Bezos and Amazon for the WSJ, The New York Times and The Information, so his article is worth reading and likely pinpoints Bezos’ interest in buying the Celtics. Sportico values the team at $5.12 billion, but multiple sources estimate the sale price for the team is about $6 billion, nearly $2 billion more than Matt Ishbia paid to buy the Phoenix Suns last season.
Bezos was once considered a potential buyer of NFL teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, which were set to be sold to Josh Harris’ organization for $6.05 billion in 2023, but the Seahawks sale was delayed due to issues that arose after the death of owner Paul Allen.
Bezos will work with the NBA on an interim basis as the league broadcasts 66 regular-season games and in-season tournament knockout games on Amazon Prime Video from 2025-2026. Bezos is currently the second-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $200 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The Celtics hired two banks, JPMorgan and BDT & MSD Partners, earlier this month to serve as advisers for the bidding process, which is expected to conclude during the upcoming 2024-25 season.
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