Steve Pagliuca was part of the investment group that purchased the Celtics for $360 million in 2002, and he has served as co-owner.
Steve Pagliuca was part of the investment group that purchased the Celtics for $360 million in 2002, and he has served as co-owner.Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
Following the news that the sale of the Celtics was finalized on Tuesday, allowing Bill Chisholm to take over control of the franchise, Steve Pagliuca took to social media to release a statement congratulating the new ownership group.
Pagliuca was part of the investment group that purchased the Celtics for $360 million in 2002, and he has served as co-owner. His bid to purchase the team was turned down in March in favor of Chisholm.
“Congratulations to Bill Chisholm and the many new and current investors on the closing of the Celtics transaction today,” Pagliuca said in the statement. “It is a fantastic group of leaders and they will be excellent stewards of the franchise going forward.
“As a lifelong Celtics fan and a co-owner and managing partner for the past 23 years, the Celtics’ success has always been, and will continue to be, what’s most important to me. My wife Judy and four children who grew up as Celtics fans were all in, supporting me, the team, and our community through Shamrock Foundation. Their support was extraordinary and made the journey even more special. I will also be forever grateful to all the fans in New England for their passion for the team and kindness to me and our family.”
Pagliuca told the Globe in March that he would be on the lookout for opportunities with other professional sports franchises. Earlier this month he offered to purchase the Connecticut Sun for $325 million and move the WNBA franchise to Boston. But after the Globe broke the news of Pagliuca’s bid, the WNBA issued a statement saying, “Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.”
One source told the Globe the league would prefer to award Boston an expansion team, likely in 2033.
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