Speculation that Jeff Bezos was in play to buy the Boston Celtics lasted about as long as it takes to get a fast delivery from Amazon.com. As in overnight.
The buzz for Bezos is gone, apparently, even if the idea made some sense. The man has a net worth of somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 billion, and part of the fun of being a many-times-over billionaire is buying mansions that are right out of “The Queen of Versailles,” building spaceships, and owning professional sports franchises.
If for no other reason than his ability to use the spare change in his pants pockets to meet the Celtics’ ever-expanding payroll, Bezos would have been well-received by Celtics fans. But with him or without him, the Celtics are going to be sold. The last specks of green confetti were still settling on Boylston Street from the Celtics’ rolling-rally victory parade when the for-sale sign went up, and ever since, the speculation has been as wild as the after-party.
One day it’s John Henry, the principal owner of the Red Sox. Steve Pagliuca, who already owns a piece of the Celtic action, has made it clear he’s interested in acquiring the biggest piece. And there was Bezos, until there wasn’t.
Jason McIntyre has quite the theory about why Bill Simmons reported on Jeff Bezos and the Boston Celtics… pic.twitter.com/P1PhMcLleV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 19, 2024
The reality is that the Celtics will be sold to the group that pushes the biggest bag of cash to the middle of the table. And it won’t make a bit of difference if these people refer to the North End as Little Italy, or Boston Common as “Boston Commons.” What does matter is that the next ownership does include somebody with local sensibilities.
Local sensibilities. That’s the key. It’s what the late George Steinbrenner had when he purchased the New York Yankees, even if his methods were often brazen and his judgment sometimes flawed. (Frank Costanza: “What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for!?) But Steinbrenner was a big fella from Cleveland who brought a New York swagger to a fan base that for generations expected nothing but the best.
Whatever happens with the Celtics, the ramifications may not be felt for several years. This is a team coming off its 18th NBA championship and positioned to secure banners 19 and 20. Beyond that, who knows? The next owners will take the credit or take the fall. Given the history of the Celtics and all they’ve accomplished, and what they represent, the pending sale of the franchise looms as one of the most important Boston sports news stories of the 21st century.
The Patriots struck gold with Kraft, the kid from 93 Fuller Street in Brookline. The Red Sox struck gold with Henry and Werner, but with a big assist from the kid from Pittsburgh who grew up cheering for the Buccos at Forbes Field.
The Celtics are on the clock.
(Photo: Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
