NBA Approves $6.1B Celtics Sale to Bill Chisholm Group

The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by Bill Chisholm, a transaction that sets a new record for the price of an American sports franchise. The league said the sale is expected to close soon, with initial ownership shifting to Chisholm’s group at 51 percent and full control to arrive by 2028. The transition also reshapes the Celtics’ leadership structure, as Chisholm will become the lead governor, while current owner Wyc Grousbeck will serve as alternate governor and CEO through the 2027-28 season.

The buyer group includes Aditya Mittal, Rob Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr., and the private-investment firm Sixth Street, among others. Grousbeck, who has led the franchise since 2002 after its purchase for $360 million, will remain a significant figure in governance during the two-stage purchase process. The Celtics’ ownership history under the Grousbeck family has yielded 18 NBA titles, the most in the league, reinforcing the team’s longstanding status as a basketball powerhouse even as it navigates a rapidly evolving economic and competitive landscape.

Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and cofounder of Symphony Technology...