New Celtics owner promises to win: “I will do whatever it takes”

New Era in Boston: Bill Chisholm Takes the Reins of the Celtics

The Boston Celtics are preparing for a smooth ownership transition, largely due to the continuity of the management team that has achieved notable successes in the franchise. The new owner, Bill Chisholm, has stated his intention not to alter the formula that has led the team to win two NBA championships in the last 23 years.

“We will do everything we can to win championships and raise more banners,” Chisholm said at a press conference. He was joined by former owner Wyc Grousbeck, current president Rich Gotham, and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. “I will do whatever it takes, whatever the Boston Celtics need me to do.”

Bill Chisholm

Chisholm, a Massachusetts native with private equity experience, leads a group that will pay at least $6.1 billion for the Celtics, a record price for a U.S. professional sports franchise at the time of the deal. The NBA unanimously approved the transaction last month. Chisholm expressed that the opportunity to acquire his favorite team was too good to pass up.

“The Celtics have given me joy all my life,” he said. “I feel like I can contribute something here. This was an opportunity that became a dream come true. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t take advantage of it.”

Bill Chisholm

Grousbeck, along with Steve Pagliuca, led the group that acquired the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million, overseeing an era in which the team won two NBA titles, reached the Finals on two other occasions, and qualified for the playoffs in 20 of 23 seasons. The team’s most recent title came in 2024, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as key figures. Grousbeck will continue as the team’s CEO for five years, with no plans to leave the position afterward. His shareholding will fall below the 15% required to remain the team’s designated governor for league matters, so he will act as an alternate governor.

“I’m staying, shoulder to shoulder with Bill,” Grousbeck declared. “I want a third ring. And then I want a fourth ring. I already have two. It’s a good start.”

Wyc Grousbeck

Grousbeck added that more than half of the former ownership group will remain, along with Stevens, Gotham and coach Joe Mazzulla. Chisholm made it clear who is in charge.

“There’s a governor, and the governor has the final say, and that’s me,” Chisholm stated. “Ultimately, I am responsible.”

Bill Chisholm

Chisholm also expressed his support for the idea of a WNBA team in Boston. The Connecticut Sun are for sale, and Pagliuca offered to buy them and move them to Boston. However, the league rejected the proposal, prioritizing cities that had already requested expansion teams.

“It’s definitely something we’re going to look at. And I know the WNBA has a process,” Chisholm said. “We’ll do what we can to expedite things. There’s a process. But philosophically it makes a lot of sense.”

Bill Chisholm

Chisholm also showed his preference for keeping the team at TD Garden, which they share with the Boston Bruins of the NHL, commenting that “we have something very good at the moment”.

“Personally, I really like the Boston Garden. More importantly, the team and the players really like the Boston Garden. And equally important, the fans really like the Boston Garden. That’s a starting point,” he said. “The second thing is that I think the Celtics and the Bruins should be together.”

Bill Chisholm

Aditya Mittal, son of one of the richest men in India and CEO of ArcelorMittal, the second-largest steel producing company in the world, also appeared before the media. Mittal recounted that he visited Boston for the first time in the 1980s and attended a Celtics game at the old Boston Garden.

“It was magical,” he expressed. “I fell in love with it.”

Aditya Mittal

The Celtics’ future is affected by the salary cap. Chisholm takes over the team at a time of transition, just two seasons after their last title. Tatum is recovering from surgery to repair the right Achilles tendon he suffered in Boston’s loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, which frustrated the Celtics’ hopes of repeating as champions. To avoid the penalties of the NBA’s second luxury tax threshold, the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, key pieces of the championship team, this summer. Grousbeck explained that these deals would have been made even without the team’s sale. Stevens clarified that the operations did not focus as much on economic penalties as on roster restrictions. If Boston had exceeded the second threshold at that time, it would not have been able to acquire Porzingis, Holiday, or Derrick White in the first place.

“You have to give yourself the flexibility and the opportunity to take advantage of the right offers. You don’t always know when they’re going to present themselves,” Stevens said. “That’s why the second threshold was key.”

Brad Stevens

Chisholm summarized his message to the basketball operations team: “Let’s go for it, but let’s do it reasonably.”

“The flexibility Brad talks about, I think it’s paramount to achieve it,” he concluded. “But ultimately, we’re going to do everything we can to win. It’s the number one job.”

Bill Chisholm