Celtics
Brady, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison are among the many names oddsmakers listed as potential buyers of the reigning NBA champions.
Wyc Grousbeck caught Boston fans, and even Jayson Tatum, off guard when it was revealed that his ownership group intends to put the Celtics up for sale.
On Wednesday, not long after the reported sale was announced, BetOnline released its odds for who will become the next owner of the Celtics — an undertaking expected to command an approximate $4.7 billion price.
Here are a few notable names included, including multiple with previous or current ties to Boston, along with their odds of buying the Boston franchise.
Larry Ellison: 2/1
Larry Ellison is the frontrunner to buy the Celtics on BetOnline’s sportsbook, commanding 2 to 1 odds. The logic adds up; Ellison is one of the richest men in the world, doesn’t currently own a sports franchise, and has attempted to purchase NBA teams in the past, with no success.
Ellison is the co-founder of Oracle, a software giant, and served as the company’s CEO until 2014. In 2010, he attempted to buy the Golden State Warriors, a team that he already had a relationship with as Oracle held the naming rights to the Warriors previous arena in Oakland, before Golden State moved to the Chase Center in 2019.
Ultimately, in a somewhat surprising turn of events at the time, Joe Lacob pulled the carpet out from under Ellison and bought the Warriors alongside Peter Guber.
Given Ellison’s net worth, desire to own an NBA team, and Boston’s lofty estimated purchasing price, linking the two parties could be a great fit for both sides.
Tom Brady: 25/1
It’s unlikely, and probably even impossible, that the beloved Patriots QB could purchase the multi-billion dollar Boston team by himself. But, if he could find an affluent partner to go in on the team with him, he would make an intriguing candidate.
Brady’s ties to the city of Boston are deep, and he continues to expand his ownership portfolio, carrying a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, and Birmingham FC.
The major problem with Brady owning a team of the magnitude of the Celtics is simple: he does not have enough money. Sure, Brady is certainly well-off, with an estimated net worth somewhere in the 300 million range. Even if that figure is significantly lower than reality, it’s still not $1 billion, let alone the $5 billion it would take to be the next Celtics owner.
Interestingly, though, Brady seemingly has at least a semblance of a relationship with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has plenty of money to purchase a sports team (and even holds 8/1 odds to purchase the team in his own right). Brady also has an extremely close public relationship with another wealthy New Englander: Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
A partnership with either of those names could be what Brady needs to take control of another storied sports team in New England.
Steve Pagliuca: 3/1
Pagliuca might be the most popular candidate to win the bidding war for the Celtics, as he’s already a part-owner of the team. He publicly announced he intends to enter the bidding war for the majority stake. If he manages to take over the controlling stake of Boston’s basketball franchise, it’s more likely for less changes within the organization.
BetOnline views this as a strong possibility, too; the sportsbook gave Pagliuca the second-shortest odds to buy the Celtics.
Tatum’s reaction to the announcement of the ownership sale was that he “hopes the foundation and structure [of the Celtics] doesn’t change,” so it’s safe to assume he’d be a supporter of Pagliuca’s bid.
Fenway Sports Group: 6/1
Given John Henry’s recent handling of the Boston Red Sox, FSG’s short odds to purchase the Celtics may not sit well with some Boston fans.
Still, FSG is becoming an internationally known firm investing in multiple sports entities, including the Red Sox, Liverpool FC, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Celtics wouldn’t even be the most valuable franchise in FSG’s umbrella if purchased by John Henry and Co. (Liverpool is valued at $5.37 billion).
Other names with Boston ties
BetOnline’s book heavily leans towards wealthy individuals with Boston ties in its odds list. Here are some of the other notable Boston figures, along with their odds to purchase the Celtics:
- Robert Kraft: 20/1
- Matt Damon/Ben Affleck: 22/1
- Mark Wahlberg: 40/1
- Dave Portnoy: 50/1
- Larry Bird: 60/1
- David Ortiz: 66/1
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