BOSTON — One of the world’s richest men is reportedly interested in buying the Boston Celtics.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on his podcast that there are “legitimate rumors” that billionaire Jeff Bezos is interested in buying the team that has won 18 NBA Finals championships.
“This is such a big topic right now, so I happen to have a ton of information on this,” Simmons said in a conversation with author Chuck Klosterman. “I don’t care if I get tallied on this, because I know I’m right. The league wants $6 billion for their team, for the Celtics.”
Simmons added, “The reason they want $6 billion is because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. They’re asking for $6 billion each for both franchises for expansion, which means a $400 million check would go to every NBA owner — all 30 of them.”
Simmons said Bezos, Amazon’s founder, chairman of the board and former president and CEO, has emerged as a legitimate candidate to buy the Celtics.
“There’s been rumors going around for the last few days about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics. I think that’s true and I think he would be one of the bidders,” Simmons said. “The Celtics are one of the best franchises, so I think so. To him, it would be like buying a $300 million mega yacht.”
From last night’s podcast – Why I think Jeff Bezos is a legitimate candidate to buy the Celtics (and the price the NBA would be willing to pay). pic.twitter.com/O6nrVcYf9I
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) August 19, 2024
Forbes magazine values Bezos’ net worth at $197 billion, the second-highest in the world behind Elon Musk’s $243.3 billion.
So what is Bezos’ vision for purchasing the legendary club?
“Is the ultimate goal of this project to build the most state-of-the-art stadium ever built for concerts or basketball? Is it just another thing he does, building one in downtown Boston, like the Amazon Dome?”
The Celtics’ majority shareholder group announced plans to sell the team on July 1, just days after Boston held a rolling rally to celebrate the franchise’s long-awaited banner 18th.
The ownership group’s board has said it plans to sell a majority stake in 2024 or early 2025, with the remainder sold in 2028.
Wyck Grusbeck is expected to continue in his role as the team’s general manager until the second closure in 2028.
The Grousbecks led the group that purchased the Celtics for $360 million in 2002. The team is now worth $4.7 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
Boston 25’s Butch Stearns spoke one-on-one with Grousbeck in the locker room after the Celtics won the 2024 NBA title, which you can watch below:
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