After failing to buy the NFL’s Washington Commanders, Jeff Bezos has his sights set on one of the NBA’s top franchises.
Amazon founder Bill Simmons said on a podcast on Monday that he is interested in buying the Boston Celtics, and that the Grousbeck family wants to sell the team after it won the NBA championship in June.
“There’s been rumors floating around for the last few days about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics, which I believe is true, and I think he would be one of the candidates to buy,” Simmons said. “And it got me thinking: Why would Jeff Bezos be looking at the Celtics, what does he see? What does he want? The only reason it makes sense is, I mean, sure, he has a ton of money, but it’s one of the premier franchises, right? So I get it. For him, it would be no different than buying this famous, giant, $300 million yacht. But I think it’s a real possibility that he’s involved in this acquisition.”
Simmons also said the NBA wants the Celtics to be sold for $6 billion, because that’s the target price for an NBA expansion team.
“It’s a crazy amount of money, but they’ll probably get it,” Simmons said. “The reason they want $6 billion is because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. Mexico City has been floated as a third team. But they’re willing to pay $6 billion each to two franchises for expansion. That means all 30 NBA owners will get a check for $400 million.”
Jeff Bezos (right) and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez (left) attend the Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference in Idaho on July 10, 2024. Reuters Jayson Tatum (center) holds up the Larry O’Brien Trophy with Jaylen Brown (right) and Kristaps Porzingis (left) after the Celtics won the NBA championship on June 17, 2024. The Associated Press
Questions remain about whether Dan Snyder would be willing to sell the Commanders to Bezos, but the Financial Times reported in June that Bezos was “easily defeated” by Devils and 76ers owner Josh Harris, who bought the NFL team for $6.05 billion.
The Celtics’ owners announced their intention to sell the team on July 1 “due to estate and family planning considerations,” and expect the majority of the team to be sold this year or early 2025, with the remainder sold in 2028.
The Post reported earlier this month that Fenway Sports Group was also interested in buying the Celtics.
Celtics owner Wyck Grousbeck (right) holds the Larry O’Brien Trophy with his wife Emilia Fazzalari (left) at the ESPY Awards on July 11, 2024. WireImage Bill Simmons speaks on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on August 19, 2024. YouTube/Bill Simmons
Wyck Grusbeck, who ran the Celtics for his father, Irv, and has been the team’s president, wants to stay in that role until the team is sold outright in four years’ time.
“The sale will be in two parts, 51% sold immediately and 49% sold in a second sale, which we expect will happen in 2028,” Grousbeck told CNBC last month. “I intend to stay on through 2028, or will stay on. I’ll be bringing on bankers and advisors. This is going to be quite a bidding process.”
Steve Pagliuca, a minority owner of the Celtics, is planning to make a bid to become a majority owner of the team.