Author
Christopher Boan has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
For the first time in more than two decades there will be a new ownership group inside TD Garden, with the Boston Celtics’ longstanding leaders bowing out on the heels of the franchise’s latest title run.
The 22-year-long ownership group headlined by Wyc Grousbeck is taking their sweet time to land the right deal, though Bill Simmons believed that Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos would be the current frontrunner.
Simmons said on his podcast back in August that the interest between Bezos and the Celtics’ ownership group is real and that he could fork over serious cash to make such a fate come true.
"The league wants $6 billion for the team, for the Celtics. They don't own their arena. It's a crazy price but they're probably going to get it," said Simmons. "They want the $6 billion because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Vegas, and Mexico City is kind of looming as a third team. But they want to get $6 billion apiece for two franchises for expansion, which would mean a check of $400 million to every NBA owner, all 30. So they're trying to establish a price for this Celtics team."
While Simmons has always been a plugged in NBA voice, his theory took a hit on Aug. 21, when reports indicated Bezos had no plan to pursue the team.
However, on Sept. 5, Boston-based WEEI's Courtney Cox reported the Celtics are down to three finalists: Fenway Sports Group, Bezos and businessman Steve Wynn.
At BetMassachusetts.com, we’re keeping an eye on candidates to buy the defending champs, or rather - everyone's favorite hoops team across Massachusetts sports betting.
Name | Odds | Percent Chance |
John Henry/Fenway Sports Group | +400 | 20.0% |
Steve Wynn | +700 | 12.5% |
Jeff Bezos | +800 | 11.1% |
Stephen Pagliuca | +1450 | 6.5% |
The Field | +100 | 49.9% |
Odds provided by BetMassachusetts and not available on MA betting apps.
Given Simmons’ surehanded commentary and various data points suggesting such things, it seemed like a sure bet to believe that Bezos would be in the mix to land the Celtics, which is why we initially listed him at +500 to do so. Now though, he has dropped to +800, which still gives him nearly a 11.1% of being the next owner.
We view Fenway Sports Group (led by Red Sox owner John Henry) as the favorite at +400. Henry and FSG in the past decade have led an ambitious - and successful - expansion of their team interests, adding Liverpool F.C., the Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing and even Boston-based NESN to their portfolio. While fans may be gutted to see the Red Sox playoff chances slip this past month, Henry and FSG make the most sense for the next Celtics owners.
Wynn (+700) is just ahead of Bezos, though BetMassachusetts' Steve Bittenbender notes while Wynn "makes more sense than Wynn Resorts, [he] would have a lot of messaging to do in order to become the Celtics owner."
A handful of other players still make up our list, as previous and new bidders can always enter the fray, including current C’s co-owner Stephen Pagliuca (+1450) to be the next owner in Beantown.
Whichever lucky winner of the Celtics sweepstakes is inheriting one of the league’s best teams, with Boston not only winning it all in 2024 but having the type of leadership on the court that could allow the club to win it all again next year and for years to come. And to top it all off, the Celtics Championship odds are once again one of the best in the league for this coming season.
Given that crop of talent combined with the franchise’s blue-blooded background, it’s no wonder why billionaires are lining up all over the place to get their hands on one of the NBA’s crown jewels, with Bezos being one of many influential Americans to covet the franchise during the latest round of ownership musical chairs.
USA Today photo by Jay Biggerstaff.
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Author
Christopher Boan has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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