Jeff Bezos is reportedly interested in buying the Boston Celtics after the team went up for sale following their NBA Finals win over the Dallas Mavericks in June.
After a failed attempt to take over the NFL’s Washington Commanders, the Amazon founder is reportedly setting his sights on the NBA’s most successful franchise.
On Monday, Bill Simmons reported on and discussed the legitimacy of Bezos’ interest on his podcast.
“There have been some rumors in the last few days, I think legitimate, about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics, and I think that’s real. I think he’s going to be one of the suitors,” Simmons said.
“That got me thinking, why does Jeff Bezos, when he’s looking at the Celtics, what does he see? What does he want? I think that’s the only way it makes sense, I mean, he’s got a ton of millions of dollars, but it’s one of the biggest franchises, right?”
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos reportedly interested in buying the Boston Celtics franchise
“That’s why you get it. For him it would be no different than buying this famous, gigantic $300 million yacht,” Simmons added. “But I think it’s real that he’s potentially in the running for this.”
Simmons also noted that the Celtics want to sell for $6 billion to meet their expansion team goal.
“It’s a crazy price, but they’ll probably get it,” Simmons said. “They want the $6 billion because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas (with Mexico City being the third team), but they want to get $6 billion for each of the two expansion franchises, which would mean a $400 million check for each NBA owner, all 30 of them.”
After beating the Mavs in five games to win their 18th NBA title, Celtics owners announced they would put the team on the market for “estate and family planning considerations,” with the expectation that the sale of the majority of the team would occur this year or early 2025, with the remainder of the franchise purchased in 2028.
Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck wants to stay involved until the team is fully sold
The Celtics won their 18th franchise title after beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
Celtics to try to sell for $6 billion to help with NBA expansion plans
Grousbeck lifts the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the Celtics won their NBA Finals series in June.
In early August, the New York Post reported that Fenway Sports Group is also interested in participating in the sweepstakes for the reigning champions.
“The expectation is to sell the time in two parts, with 51 percent exiting fairly early and 49 percent closing later in the second closing. That’s the expectation in 2028,” team governor Wyc Grousbeck told CNBC last month.
“I plan to stay until 2028. We are going to hire bankers and advisors. It will be a fairly intense bidding process.”
Grousbeck has been managing the Celtics for his father Irv.
Meanwhile, minority owner Steve Pagliuca will also attempt to become the team’s majority owner.