After two decades with the same majority owner, the Boston Celtics have a new Governor calling the shots. New England native Bill Chisholm is officially the head honcho of his hometown team, and he introduced himself to the public during a Thursday afternoon press conference at the Auerbach Center.
The savvy businessman is a newcomer in the NBA world, so many Celtics fans were quick to question his plans for the franchise following the completion of the $6.1 billion sale. Most of the concern revolves around spending, as the C’s shed a ton of salary this offseason in order to circumvent the second apron, resulting in the dismantling of a once championship-caliber core.
Since Chisholm was onboard for this summer of salary-saving, he didn’t exactly have the best first impression with the Boston faithful. However, these maneuvers were necessary, and former Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck said they would’ve happened no matter who bought the team.
As for Chisholm’s thoughts on team financials, he told the media that he’s more than happy to spend, but the timing of when to make a big splash is crucial. Alongside Celtics President of Basketball Operations and former NBA Executive of the Year Brad Stevens, Chisholm aims to maintain financial flexibility for when championship windows do come about.
“I mean, let’s go for it, but let’s do it in a reasonable way,” he replied when asked about his spending habits. “My goal and my high-level direction to Brad and team is let’s do whatever we can to win championships and win banners and raise as many as we can, both in the near-term, but also in the medium to long-term as well.
“So definitely taking that approach and that flexibility that Brad talks about, I think that’s paramount to doing that,” Chisholm continued. “But ultimately, we’re going to do everything we can to win, and that’s job number one. And, not just win games — win championships.”
With Celtics star Jayson Tatum likely out for at least several months, there’s not much of a draft coming from Boston’s championship window this season. Yet, that doesn’t mean Chisholm and the rest of the Celtics brass can’t have a title contender ready to go for when the six-time All-Star is able to return to action.
And while the playoffs are still in play for the 2025-26 Celtics, Chisholm knows that an owner’s legacy in the Boston sports market is measured by championships — not postseason appearances.
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