$6,000,000,000 NBA franchise owner Wyc Grousbeck gets honest on team's sale and future amid rumors
After the Boston Celtics' NBA championship win last year, news emerged that Boston Basketball Partners, LLC, would be selling its majority stake in the Celtics. At the time, it was announced that majority owner Wyc Grousbeck would be staying on as the governor for the next few years, slowly transitioning duties over until the 2028 season, at which time Grousbeck would walk away for good.
Since then, there's been little news in regard to the team's sale beyond the fact that there are several ownership groups interested in getting in the mix. At the screening of the all-new HBO documentary "Celtics City" on Friday, Grousbeck was asked by CLNS Media what the transitioning process could look like over the years to come.
As he said in his response, he can't say much right now because the sale of the team, which is valued at $6 billion by Forbes, is an ongoing process:
"It's all playing out now, so I can't say much about it, but the general idea is we're going to have a good period of staying in and then transitioning and trying to do the best thing for the Celtics, and we think that might be the right way to do it."
Right now, there are several interested parties involved in the bidding process, including some familiar faces like Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca, who has no plans of selling off his stake in the team despite Grousbeck's plans.
Jaylen Brown opens up on his hopes for reigning NBA champs' new owners
Throughout the team's history, there have been a few years where Boston wasn't competitive. From the Bob Cousy-Bill Russell era, all the way up until the present, the Celtics have consistently been among the best teams in the NBA, except for a 10-year stint from the mid-90s to the mid-2000s.
With the team now in a position to potentially secure back-to-back NBA titles, Jaylen Brown spoke with members of the press in Cleveland on Feb. 4, where he was asked about the potential sale.
For him, the most important thing is that the new ownership group keeps the team competitive. After years of deep playoff runs and a title this past season, Brown wants the new ownership group to understand just how important it is to the team and the city to remain competitive.
“I hope they have, like, either a trust or just a reliance on people who have knowledge of the game. Keep the emphasis on winning," Brown said. “I know business is a part of the overall viewpoint of ownership. But winning is important, as well. So hope that is maintained, like, the view on winning.
“We’ve done nothing but that since I’ve been here is winning. Hopefully, the new ownership understands and respects that.”
Following the NBA All-Star break, the team is currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, six games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and three games ahead of the New York Knicks as they look ahead to the postseason.