Celtics Are Far From First Pro Sports Sale With Bezos ‘Buzz’

Jeff Bezos is reportedly interested in buying the Boston Celtics, the reigning NBA champions who went up for sale shortly after capturing their 18th title. 

Here we go again. 

The report comes from podcaster/media mogul/Boston fan Bill Simmons.

“In the last few days there’s been some I think legitimate buzz about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics, and I think it’s real,” Simmons said on his podcast Sunday. “I think he’s gonna be one of the suitors. Which got me thinking, why would Jeff Bezos, when he’s looking at the Celtics, what is he seeing? What does he want? I think the only way it makes sense—I mean, granted, he has a gajillion dollars—but it’s one of the crown-jewel franchises, right? That’s why you get it. To him it’d be no different than if he bought this famous, gigantic, $300 million yacht. But I think it’s real that he’s potentially in the mix for this.”

It’s not the first time Bezos has been linked to a team on the market, and it likely won’t be the last. Fans of long-tortured sports franchises have dreamed of Bezos serving as a billionaire in shining armor, riding into town in an expensive car to rescue their cursed team from bad ownership. And owners and leagues would benefit from having the mere mention of Bezos’s infinite pockets drive up bids for their teams, making everyone richer. 

(Update, Aug. 20, 4:16 p.m. Eastern: Bezos has “no plans” to buy the Celtics, according to The Information.)

The Amazon founder and Washington Post owner is worth roughly $196 billion, according to Forbes, making him the second-richest person on Earth. Sports team valuations have gotten so astronomical that a dwindling number of people—including Bezos—who don’t already own major franchises can afford to buy one outright. Simmons said the NBA wants to see the Celtics sell for $6 billion, which would set a record and raise the payout owners would get from possible expansion franchises. (Commissioner Adam Silver has said expansion is on deck now that the league’s new media rights deals are finalized.)

“They want to get $6 billion apiece,” Simmons said of expansion fees, “which would mean a check of $400 million to every NBA owner.” 

In recent years, Bezos has been linked to potentially owning the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks, two cities in which he has ties. Amazon was founded in Seattle, while Bezos owns the local newspaper in the nation’s capital. But the Commanders were sold to Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris for $6 billion. The Financial Times reported Bezos was “simply outbid” by Harris for the Commanders. The Seahawks’ interest started in 2019, but nothing came of it. He has also been linked to the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers in recent years; those teams were ultimately sold to people other than Jeff Bezos.

Nick Watanabe, a sports management professor at the University of South Carolina, says Bezos’s name will keep coming up if he doesn’t buy the Celtics. “There’s not that many billionaires in the world,” Watanabe tells Front Office Sports.

It’s not even the first time possible NBA interest from Bezos has been alleged on a Simmons show. Former Knick Charles Oakley said in 2019 that Bezos was interested in purchasing his former team. Two months earlier, Simmons had said Knicks owner Jim Dolan was “courting offers” for the team, which Dolan later denied. Five years later, Dolan still owns the team.