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Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Celtics lost more than just a series to the Knicks; they lost some hope for the future, too.
Advertisement Instead of raising Banner No. 19 the Celtics are faced with razing their team. Instead of confetti raining down on them to signal the end of their season it feels like the sky is falling. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens brought back everyone except Oshae Brissett from 2023-24 NBA champions. That will not be the case in 2025. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement That total all-in payroll cost would be the largest in NBA history. It already would've been a tough bill to swallow So, there is an opportunity cost to not cashing in on this opportunity to win another title. Kristaps Porziņgis (right) is due $30.7 million in the final year of his contract. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff 'We set a goal out. At the end of the day, we didn't achieve that goal,' said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. 'But it shouldn't take away from the mind-set and the effort that the players put in. … I thought they gave it everything they had throughout the season. 'Obviously, we didn't achieve that, but you can't take away from what they did. This is the price you pay for trying to go after something.' The Celtics are about to pay the price for success by having to sell off pieces to avoid being above the prohibitive second apron, set at $207.8 million for next season. With Tatum and Jaylen Brown on supermax contracts, the Celtics, who were above the second apron this season, already sport approximately $230 million in salary commitments for 2025. That's well above the base luxury tax line of $187 million. Center Kristaps Porziņgis, severely limited this postseason by a persistent and mysterious respiratory illness, and venerable guard Jrue Holiday figure to be on the chopping block. Porziņģis is due $30.7 million in the final year of his contract. Holiday will earn $32.4 million in the second year of the four-year $135 million extension he signed last spring. Advertisement Despite being annihilated by the Knicks, the true grim reaper for the Green is the NBA collective bargaining agreement, which penalizes franchises such as the Celtics who assemble All-Star-laden rosters and invest heavily in winning championships. It's a shame the league and its owners want to disband dynasties and punish the pursuit of greatness. The Parquet Postmortem examination will show the cause of premature death for this dynasty interrupted will be the NBA CBA with Tatum's injury as a contributing factor. The Boston Basketball epoch that brought Banner 18 demanded more than getting obliterated in front of the glitterati at MSG in a no-contest that was over at halftime with the Celtics trailing by 27. It was worthy of a proper send off, a Viking funeral. Instead, it got an embarrassing coda reminiscent of the famous quote from former Knick Michael Ray Richardson — 'The ship be sinking,' — the third-largest playoff margin of defeat in Celtics history. Ugh. Perhaps, this was the basketball gods expressing their ire, humbling the Celtics for worshipping the false idol of unabashed 3-pointers and for perverting the game with the intentional fouling free-throw-phobic Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. The consequences of the loss stared the Celtics players and coaches in the face as unflinchingly as a Knicks team that rallied from three double-digit, second-half deficits in the series and put six players in double figures in the clincher. It likely was the last time this group of ring-bearers would be together. 'Our group, we had a bunch of great days together. Just, we didn't win in the end,' said Brown. Advertisement The hope is that Game 6 wasn't a preview of coming attractions next season if the Celtics execute But he fouled out with 2 minutes and 50 seconds left in a disastrous third quarter, finishing with 20 points but the same number of fouls (six) as his individual numbers of rebounds and assists, as well as seven of Boston's 15 turnovers. The Tandem is the dual-powered engine of the Celtics success. But Brown projects to be a solo act for much of, if not all of, next season while Tatum recuperates. Brown expressed the end of this era is merely hitting the pause button on chasing championships, not exiting out of the picture. 'I know Boston, it looks gloomy now with JT being out and us kind of ending the year,' said Brown. 'But it's a lot to look forward to, and I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end. I'm looking forward to what's next.' But what's next isn't as promising as what just passed. It's all right to mourn, Celtics fans. You lost more than just a series Friday night. Christopher L. Gasper is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
JJ Redick reflects on his first season as the Lakers' head coach
JJ Redick reflects on his first season as the Lakers' head coach Generally speaking, JJ Redick did a fine job in his first season as the Los Angeles Lakers' head coach. He was hired last June despite not having any experience at either the pro or college levels, and the fact that he was a rookie coach, along with the fact that he had co-hosted the "Mind the Game" podcast with LeBron James, led many to criticize the hiring. But he kept the team in one piece through several slumps and a revamping of its roster and style of play this season. Los Angeles finished third in the Western Conference, which was a much higher finish than expected, and while it lost in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves, its immediate future seems pretty bright. After Game 5 of the Minnesota series, Redick reflected on his season and also showed a bit of humility when he mentioned what's next for him as a coach. Via 'I've always felt like a team is a living organism,' he explained. 'And that season, you've got to feed the organism, and you hope that it's healthy. Certainly, every organism has some chronic issues, and you try to address those. Then when you come in after the season, it feels like a funeral. It feels like the death of that organism. In a moment of reflection this morning, I think that's the sad part and the disappointing part. We wanted this group to have an opportunity to play for a championship. We didn't deliver on that. 'As a player, I can remember vividly, a season ending in the playoffs. You get on the plane, flight back, it's quiet. You're writing down everything you want to be better at. That's no different as a coach. That's where my mind goes today, immediately. It's, 'How can I be better?' I'm going to take a lot of time, and thankfully, this offseason I have more time than last offseason to really self-evaluate, listen to my coaching staff, listen to players, listen to feedback from RP (Rob Pelinka) and figure out ways I can be better and ways I can help get us closer to that ultimate goal of hanging Banner 18.' Redick has brought a new emphasis on detail, organization and data to a Lakers organization that had been criticized for being behind the times when it came to analytics. While it does need a starting-caliber center and better guard and wing depth, it now has a championship-caliber core for the first time since 2021. In Redick, it also may have a championship-caliber head coach.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Celtics' looming roster changes shouldn't distract from Banner 19 quest
Celtics' looming roster changes shouldn't distract from Banner 19 quest originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Can we all just enjoy the ride? The Boston Celtics are fast approaching a roster reckoning that we all knew was coming. But for the next seven weeks, our entire focus should be on the quest for a second title, and not the second apron. Advertisement Change was inevitable. The Celtics' roster is prohibitively expensive and the punitive measures placed on big spenders under a new collective bargaining agreement will soon force Boston to trim costs in order to remain competitive long term. But there is no sense worrying about those changes now. We couldn't help feeling like Ferris Bueller after consternation about Boston's future cropped up on Thursday with the Celtics still in the afterglow of a Round 1 victory over the Magic. The NBA moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Things almost will certainly look different in July — although we'd quietly remind you that if Boston keeps winning titles, we suspect every effort will be made to keep as much of this core in place (even if Bill Chisholm and his new ownership group will be forced to spend big money in the short term to do such). Getting below the second apron will be a priority sooner than later, and key pieces of this roster invariably will be moved to keep the Celtics in position to compete long term. Advertisement But the roster looks the same right now. A Boston team that steamrolled the competition en route to Banner 18 last spring remains well positioned to make a run at being the first Celtics team in more than a half century to win consecutive titles. The focus right now should be on a Round 2 matchup with the Knicks. And not the nickels and dimes of the 2025-26 roster. From the moment the Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday, we knew there would be a narrow window with this core. Brad Stevens handed out $1 billion in extensions in little more than a year's span to secure all of Boston's assets, but everyone knew the team eventually would have to make tough decisions on which pieces would comprise its long-term core. Jayson Tatum's maximum-salary contract extensions kicks in next summer and the Celtics have $228 million worth of salaries on the books before addressing the futures of free-agents-to-be Al Horford and Luke Kornet. Boston is already $20 million above next year's projected second apron. Advertisement Derrick White would be Boston's cheapest member of the projected starting five next season, earning $28.1 million. Tatum and Jaylen Brown will combine to earn $107.2 million in a league with a projected salary cap at $154.6 million next season. It's fair to question if Boston can carry championship luxuries like Holiday long-term when he'll earn $32.4 million in the second season of a four-year, $134.4 million extension. Sam Hauser's four-year, $45 million extension kicks in next season, too. Can the Celtics afford that splurge, or would it make more sense to throw the keys of that role to a rookie-contract player like Baylor Scheierman? Payton Pritchard's $7.2 million salary for next season is one of the best values in the NBA; could he elevate to a starter role if the team elects to move on from a member of its starting five? The Celtics have multiple pathways to get below the tax. They must examine all options and identify the deals that can help both shed salary and bring back players who will take some of the sting away from losing core pieces. But there will be ample time to examine the team's options in late June/early July. Invariably, it's going to sting to see the Celtics move pieces from this title core. That doesn't mean Boston won't still be in the title mix; it's just going to look a little different. Advertisement But we'll say it again: It's not different now. This Celtics team, with only minor tweaks from a season ago, has a chance to be the first NBA squad in nearly a decade to repeat as champs. Joe Mazzulla routinely implores his players to stay in the moment. We ought to do the same. Savor this playoff journey rather than fret what comes after it.
Boston Globe
21-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Court Sense: $6.1 billion? In this economy?
You know how many Costco hot dog and fountain drink combos $6 billion would buy? A lot! In case you missed it, the long-awaited Celtics sale finally came through Thursday. The final price? Chisholm's group, which includes current Celtics co-owner Robert Hale, president of Related Companies Bruce Beal Jr., and the global investment firm Sixth Street, beat out a bid led by another current Celtics co-owner, Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Now the question on everyone's mind: What does this mean for the future of the franchise? Advertisement The answer: I have no idea! 'I'm all about winning championships and raising banners, and doing that now, and also doing it over the long term. I think [Wyc Grousbeck] has done an incredible job of balancing that, and I think that's the path we're on and that's the path we should stay on.' Are there concerns? Sure. The looming specter of private equity has long been discussed as sports franchise values have ballooned in scale from millions to billions, with very few individual people possessing the resources to spend multiple billions on a sports team. You know who does have that kind of capital? Private equity firms. Sixth Street, for example, boasts $75 billion in assets under management, which is, you know, a lot. Advertisement Less than a year after winning Banner 18, the Celtics are being sold. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff The concern for most sports fans is that private equity firms are inherently and purely profit-driven. They exist to make money on large scales and to make financial plays — not emotional or competitive ones, which doesn't always square with the competitive and emotional nature of sports. And in the profit-sharing world of sports, where the revenue gap between contenders and bottom-dwellers isn't all that big, winning championships isn't always the most profitable play. Who knows. Being bankrolled by a single billionaire backer isn't always a perfect route either (see: the Phoenix Suns). Time will tell, and all that. The very future of the franchise aside, there was some actual basketball this week, The rookie banked in an incredible shot in the final seconds of the third quarter, just to have his moment stolen by a Joe Mazzulla timeout before the shot went up. Scheierman's response? It was some night for Scheierman, who poured in a career-high 20 points (he had 30 all season before Tuesday) on a scorching 6 of 7 from deep. I'm glad he had his moment in the sun before a $6.1 billion transaction stole the week's news cycle. Advertisement Let's get into it. ICYMI 🗞️ Steve Pagliuca (left) was always in the background behind Wyc Grousbeck. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Why not Pags? It seems odd that Steve Pagliuca's Celtics ownership bid was turned down, and other thoughts. By Dan Shaughnessy Why not Pags? This is the takeaway after Thursday morning's news bomb, fan agita, official corporate statements, and private equity high-fiving that went on after the Globe's Adam Himmelsbach broke the story that the Celtics have been sold to an investor group led by complete unknown William Chisholm — a North Shore native who went to Dartmouth and has pledged to 'work to bring more championships home to Boston.' Swell. So here's just one little question: Why not 'Pags'? 'Pags' is Steve Pagliuca, a Bain Capital billionaire, local philanthropist, basketball insider, and managing general partner and co-owner of the Celtics since Irving Grousbeck and his family led a group that purchased the Celtics for $360 million in December 2002. When it was announced last summer that the Celtics were for sale, Pags immediately stepped forward. He put together a group that was named one of the four finalists two weeks ago. But Pagliuca's group was not the winner. So after two NBA championships and 23 seasons working with the Grousbecks, he is out. Other top stories we're watching ... Private equity investor Bill Chisholm is acquiring the Celtics for $6.1 billion. So you say you're a Celtics lifer, eh, Bill Chisholm? The trouble for new ownership? The Celtics are about to get very, very expensive. The Joe Mazzulla Quote of the Week Congrats to Wyc Grousbeck, a first-time winner of the Joe Mazzulla Quote of the Week. It was a big day for Grousbeck, who took the first step toward clearing $6.1 billion on a team purchased for $360 million (a return on investment of approximately 'mamma mia that's a lot of moolah' percent) with Thursday's agreement to sell the team. Advertisement Grousbeck was quick to advocate for incoming owner Bill Chisholm, whom Grousbeck described much in the way I would describe, I don't know, the love of my life, or something. 'Bill is spectacular,' Spectacular. Passionate. Burning. What more could you want? This week in basketball 🏀 Big week for wild 3-pointers at the buzzer. I occasionally poke fun at my, uh, more seasoned colleagues about their aversion to the 3-point shot, and this is not a segment for them. Look away, A few ridiculous shots from range over the last week or so that I'd like to share with you all, starting with the Pacers' A couple days later, New York's Mikal Bridges drew a rare double 'Bang!' call from commentator Mike Breen Then came perhaps my favorite shot of the week, with Jordan Poole (you may remember him from the 2022 NBA Finals) He followed it with a ... strange celebration, holding his nose and waving his arm in the air, which I think is him simulating drowning (because the opponents are drowning in the 'Poole,' I guess?) with a couple seconds still on the clock and a live ball. Jordan Poole, everybody. Advertisement We started this segment with a wild Pacers shot, and we'll end it with a potentially wilder one: Down by 3 in the final seconds, the Pacers threw the ball to Haliburton running toward the corner, and their star guard delivered with a sensational triple, then converted the ensuing free throw to win the game. Tough loss for Milwaukee, I must say. Do I always love the sheer volume of 3-pointers that teams throw up these days? Maybe not. But I still love a buzzer-beater from downtown, and I probably always will. Up next ☘️ The Celtics are on the road Friday to face the Jazz (9:30 p.m., NBC Sports Boston). This story first appeared in Court Sense, a biweekly Celtics newsletter from Boston Globe Sports. Amin Touri can be reached at
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics sold to Mass.-native for $6.1 billion, report says
The Boston Celtics have been sold to a Massachusetts native and New England graduate, according to a report by the Boston Globe. The Celtics ownership group has agreed, according to a report by the Boston Globe. William Chisholm, co-founder of the Symphony Technology Group, has agreed to purchase a majority share of the team from the Grousbeck family, sources told Boston 25 News. Chisholm grew up in Georgetown, Massachusetts and graduated from Dartmouth College. According to the NBA insider Shams Charania, the deal is for a valuation of $6.1 billion, the largest sale of a franchise in the big four North American sports. BREAKING: Bill Chisholm, managing partner at Symphony Technology Group, has agreed to purchase the Boston Celtics from the Grousbeck family for a valuation for $6.1 billion, sources tell ESPN. This now is the largest sale for a sports franchise in North America. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2025 Last year, the majority ownership group of the Celtics, led by Wyc Grousbeck, announced plans to sell the team, just days after Boston held a rolling rally in celebration of the franchise's long-awaited Banner 18. He led the group that bought the Celtics for $360 million in 2002. The team is now worth $4.7 billion, according to Forbes. Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck has said he expects to remain governor through the ownership transition. When the Celtics sale was announced last July, the Grousbeck family said it intended to sell 51 percent of the team in late 2024 or early 2025. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
