Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who has deep ties in New England, is in the mix to buy the Boston Celtics, according to a report from Bill Simmons of The Ringer.
Lurie grew up in Boston and was a huge fan of all Boston teams as a kid. He attended Clark University in Worcester for undergrad, earned his master’s from Boston University and received a doctorate from Brandeis University in Waltham.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
Two years before buying the Eagles from Norman Braman for $185 million in 1995, he attempted to buy the Patriots from James Orthwein but dropped out of the bidding, and the franchise was eventually sold to Robert Kraft.
The Celtics have been owned since 2002 by Boston Basketball Partners, a large group of New England investors. The franchise is valued at $6 billion, according to Forbes.
Get updates on what’s happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Lurie sold an 8% share of the Eagles in December, a deal that valued the Eagles’ franchise at $8.3 billion. That sale raised $664 million. Whether that transaction was related to his interest in the Celtics is unknown.
According to CelticsWire, the Celtics franchise has a price tag in the $5 to $6 billion range, and Boston Basketball Partners plans to sell 51% of the franchise now and the remaining 49% in 2028.
Back in June, soon after the Celtics won their 18th NBA title, Boston Basketball Partners announced they planned to sell the franchise.
Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck said in November he plans to run the franchise through 2028 when the deal is finalized, according to ESPN.
When Lurie bought the Eagles he was perceived as an outsider, but he’s overseen the most successful period in franchise history. The Eagles reached one Super Bowl before Lurie bought the franchise, and now they’ve reached four during his ownership, including three in the last eight years.
Lurie has been prepping his son Julian to eventually take over Eagles ownership. Julian has had an official role in the front office since 2022, holding the title business and football operations strategy. The 73-year-old Lurie has been a hands-on owner and is at the NovaCare often and is routinely seen at practice.
With the Boston Celtics currently for sale, CNBC senior sports reporter Michael Ozanian discusses the franchise’s value, what he thinks the team will sell for and the factors that play into the price.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie emerges as potential Celtics buyer
