Shortly after the Boston Celtics captured Banner 18, it was reported that Wyc Grousbeck would be selling his stake in the team’s ownership. The news sparked discourse of who could step up and buy the share.
Now, there are only so many billionaires on the planet, so the list wasn’t inherently long.
One name that immediately popped up was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Bezos reportedly sold $5 billion in Amazon shares shortly after the Cs were reported to be available.
The buzz surrounding the 60-year-old and the Celtics has become a bit louder now. On Monday’s edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Bill Simmons shared his take on the potential buyer.
“In the last few days there’s been some I think legitimate buzz about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics, and I think it’s real,” Simmons said. “I think he’s gonna be one of the suitors.”
Simmons pointed to the material angle of owning one of the NBA’s top franchises as motivation for Bezos to buy, as well as the idea of building a state-of-the-art Amazon arena to host games and other events.
There had been rumors of the Cs moving out of TD Garden last month, but they’ve signed a lease through 2036.
Simmons is almost certainly correct when it comes to Bezos being one of the potential suitors. His name is going to come up time and time again (it already has been) during this Celtics sale saga.
Will he be the last suitor standing?
Maybe.
If money is the only factor then he’s got to be towards the top of the list of favorites.
The main concern when it comes to Bezo’s pursuit of the Celtics has to be the NBA’s upcoming expansion.
Adam Silver has pointed to 2026 as the year when the league will add two additional franchises. Many feel that Las Vegas and Seattle will be the homes of the new teams.
With Bezos’ Amazon being based in Seattle, it wouldn’t be shocking if he were to try and buy that franchise, especially with the timeline being sooner than if he were to buy the Cs.
Regardless of which team he buys (if any), Bezos has deep pockets and would be able to afford paying the luxury tax that goes along with building a contender. Because of that, he’d be an ideal candidate to step into an ownership role with Boston.
The Celtics are not a team you buy with the sole goal of making money. Ownership of the NBA’s winningest franchise comes along with a responsibility to do just that — win.
