Bill Chisholm has officially taken over as Boston Celtics governor after acquiring the team at a $6.1 billion valuation. Despite roster changes, Chisholm insists the franchise remains championship-driven, with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White expected to anchor the upcoming season.
The Boston Celtics have entered a new era of ownership. Bill Chisholm has officially completed his purchase of the majority stake in the franchise at a $6.1 billion valuation, becoming the team’s governor.
Wyc Grousbeck will remain in the fold as alternate governor after falling below the league’s minimum 15% ownership threshold required for the governor title.
Though ownership has shifted, Chisholm emphasized that the franchise’s ambitions remain unchanged.
“We’re not playing for second, we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm told The Boston Globe. “We’re playing for them in the near term, but we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term.”
The Celtics spent much of the offseason maneuvering below the punitive second apron of the luxury tax. The cost-cutting meant saying goodbye to Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, moves that will save the franchise more than $300 million in salary and tax obligations.
Even with these reductions, Boston remains a luxury-tax team. Around the league, some executives have speculated the Celtics might treat 2024-25 as a “gap year” with Jayson Tatum sidelined by a torn Achilles. Yet Chisholm insisted that a team built around Jaylen Brown and Derrick White could surprise skeptics.
“The second apron means you can’t just throw money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, leadership, and great people,” Chisholm explained. “WithWyc, Brad Stevens, Rich Gotham, and JoeMazzulla, I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”
AlthoughGrousbeck no longer holds the official governor title, he downplayed the significance of the change.
“When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office,’”Grousbeck noted.
“That says a lot about Bill— he doesn’t care about the title. He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.”
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