BOSTON — Brace yourselves, Celtics fans. The franchise may soon belong to John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group and, potentially, LeBron James.
We’ll give you a second to collect yourself and digest that statement.
The defending NBA champion Boston Celtics are set to go up for sale, and according to the New York Post’s Josh Kosman, Henry’s Fenway Sports Group and RedBird Capital are “seriously considering bidding for the Celtics.” Given how Red Sox fans feel about Henry’s ownership of the team over the last few years, green teamers likely won’t welcome this news with open arms.
Add in the fact that Lakers star LeBron James — who has had plenty of moments against the Celtics throughout his career — is an investor in FSG, this news is going to lead to an uptick in Pepto Bismol purchases around Boston.
But before this news sends anyone into a terrible downward spiral, know that Henry considering making a bid does not mean that FSG is going to land the Boston Celtics. Once Henry sees the upcoming luxury tax bills for the C’s, he may have second thoughts.
And since LeBron is still playing in the NBA, he can’t have anything to do with the Celtics until he retires from the league. He’s expected to play at least one more season with his son Bronny now a member of the Lakers. But with the sale of the Celtics expected to be a multi-year process, the possibility of James having a stake in the Celtics remains a possibility.
FSG has been looking to add an NBA team to its portfolio, which also includes Liverpool and the Pittsburgh Penguins, among other franchises across all sports. There had been a lot of rumblings about Henry and Co. looking to bring an NBA franchise to Las Vegas, but simply buying the most historic franchises in NBA history would be much easier.
For now, let’s just look ahead to opening night when the Celtics will raise their 18th championship banner inside TD Garden.