The Boston Celtics officially have new ownership.
Back in March of 2025, it was announced that the historic basketball franchise would be sold for $6.1 billion in what was the highest price ever paid for a North American sports franchise.
After the record-breaking sale was finalized this week, new principal owner Bill Chisholm did an interview with the Boston Globe, speaking about the future direction of the team, considering they won an NBA Championship less than two years ago.
Chisholm on the Second Apron, Future of Team Leadership
All of Boston’s moves this offseason were centered around getting under the dreaded second apron, which restricts teams in what they can do with salary and draft picks. While some fans may say it’s all about cost-cutting, Chisholm claims it’s a short-term loss for long-term gain.
“We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” he explained. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term.”
Chisholm also expressed confidence in incumbent head coach and President of Basketball Operations, Joe Mazzulla, and Brad Stevens, who were the architects of Boston’s 2023-24 NBA championship.
“The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with Brad and [president Rich Gotham] and [coach Joe Mazzulla], I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”
Mazzulla, who took over for Ime Udoka after his abrupt departure in 2022, has won over 75% of his games coached since taking over in the lead role. Stevens, meanwhile, built the “superteam” that steamrolled through the playoffs and eventually the NBA Finals to capture the Celtics’ 18th championship.
When a new owner takes over a team, it’s easy for them to want to implement their own handpicked people to run the show. But in Boston’s case, when they’re as successful as they’ve been in the 2020s, it’s hard to justify making a change just for the sake of it.
The Celtics are in good hands with Stevens and Mazzulla, and fans are satisfied knowing their new owner knows that’s the case.
