You can add another deep-pocketed contender to the list of billionaires trying to buy the Boston CelticsThe Ringer’s Bill Simmons says there’s “legitimate buzz” that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is interested in buying the NBA’s most famous franchise.
Bezos’ net worth is estimated at around $200 billion, so the Celtics’ asking price of $6 billion would be a drop in the bucket for him. Would he be a good owner beyond having the crazy capital to pay the necessary luxury tax? That’s up for debate.
And truth be told, every NBA owner makes so much money from their equity that they could all afford the luxury tax. Truth be told, we’ve seen time and time again that they still don’t. What you want in an owner is someone who treats the team as a kind of toy purchase where winning is the most important thing, to the detriment of maximizing profits.
One of the rumored potential buyers of the Celtics that is very unpopular in Boston is John Henry’s Fenway Group. After investing heavily in the Boston Red Sox early in their history and reaping the benefits from the World Series, they have treated the team as if it were a small team and have prioritized buying additional sports teams.
Fenway Group even added LeBron James as a co-owner, which was seen as a slap in the face by Boston fans. Due to the terms of the Celtics sale set by Wyc Grousbeck, the sale would not be fully finalized until 2028 (by which time LeBron would undoubtedly be retired and eligible to own an NBA franchise).
James has always had his eyes set on a future expansion franchise in Las Vegas. And it’s unclear whether Adam Silver and James have reached an agreement in principle that he will be part of that ownership group.
Bezos, for his part, would likely prefer to own a future Seattle expansion franchise, but there are no guarantees when it comes to those deals, so he might prefer the bird in the hand that is the Celtics for sale right now.
