The Boston Celtics have a new owner. Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news on Thursday morning, announcing that Symphony Technology Group co-founder William Chisholm purchased the Celtics for a record-breaking $6.1 billion. Wyc Grousbeck revealed that he would be selling the team shortly after the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Championship victory, and now, that truth has come to fruition.
Chisholm works in private equity, which is a scary thought for Celtics fans hoping for the best for their favorite team, but he also comes with a few positives. Most notably, Chisholm is a lifelong Celtics fan who grew up in Georgetown, Massachusetts.
According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, Chisholm also “intends to buy a home in Boston, watches every game, and has an "encyclopedic knowledge" of the team.”
And based on Chisholm’s first reported move as the owner of the Celtics, fans should be very excited to see what’s in store.
William Chisholm is keeping Wyc Grousbeck around the Celtics
Via Bussines Wire, outgoing Celtics owner Grousbeck released a statement about Chisholm, and he noted that the new guy in town asked him to stick around for a bit.
“Bill is a terrific person and a true Celtics fan, born and raised here in the Boston area,” Grousbeck said. “His love for the team and the city of Boston, along with his chemistry with the rest of the Celtics leadership, make him a natural choice to be the next Governor and controlling owner of the team. I know he appreciates the importance of the Celtics and burns with a passion to win on the court while being totally committed to the community. Quite simply, he wants to be a great owner.
“He has asked me to run the team as CEO and Governor for the first three years, and stay on as his partner, and I am glad to do so.”
For the past few years, Grousbeck has made it his mission to put the Celtics in the best possible position to compete for championships. The fact that Chisholm wants to keep Grousbeck by his side for the time being speaks volumes.
He wants to keep Grousbeck around long enough to teach him the ropes, and that’s a very good thing.
Obviously, nothing about Chisholm’s approach will be certain until he begins making decisions as the owner of the team, but this is a phenomenal start. Now, it’s all about seeing whether or not he can put his money where his mouth is (literally).