LeBron James has had many incredible battles against the Boston Celtics in his storied career and it turns out there is a chance now that he could be part of the team’s ownership group one day. According to the New York Post, Fenway Sports Group, in which James has a 1% stake since 2021, is considering buying the Celtics.
“Boston Red Sox Owner Fenway Sports Group and RedBird Capital that partner closely with LeBron James are seriously considering bidding for the Celtics, sources close to the situation said. James, who still stars for the Lakers, could not be a part of Celtics ownership now, sources said. But with the sale being a two-step process — where 49 percent of the team isn’t sold until 2028 — he could easily still end up being an owner of the Lakers’ hated rivals as the 39-year-old should be retired by that time.”
It would be quite ironic if LeBron became one of the owners of the Celtics considering he has given the team and their fans plenty of nightmares over the years. Now, the only way this would happen is if FSG gets the minority stake in 2028 and not the majority.
It was announced in July that the Wyc Grousbeck-led ownership group is selling the Celtics, with plans to sell the majority stake in late-2024 or early-2025. With LeBron still playing in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, a conflict of interest would arise if FSG got that majority stake. So, that deal would only go through if he sold his stake. It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds.
Regardless of how this situation with the Celtics and FSG pans out, you certainly should expect LeBron to be part of an ownership group in the NBA once he retires. The 39-year-old officially became a billionaire in 2022 and has made it crystal clear that owning a team is one of his biggest goals post-retirement.
LeBron James Has Repeatedly Expressed His Desire To Own An NBA Team In Las Vegas
The NBA looks set for expansion in a few years and Las Vegas has been touted as one of the likely landing spots for a new team. If that does end up happening, then that’s the team James wants. LeBron once explained why he wants to own a team in Las Vegas.
“It just makes sense,” James said. “Obviously you have the Raiders here, you have the (Golden Knights) here, you have the Aces here. You got F1 coming very soon. All-Star Weekend has been here a few times. You’ve got the NBA Summer League that’s very popular. Sports is here.”
“I think adding an NBA franchise here would just add to the momentum that’s going on in this town,” James continued. “It’s an attraction. You don’t have to worry about getting fan support… I think it’s only right. I think it’s only a matter of time and I hope I’m part of that time.”
LeBron also stated that his ultimate goal was to bring a franchise to Las Vegas. He certainly believes it would be ideal to own a team in the locale and I do wonder if he would just part ways with FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Liverpool FC, if their eyes are set on the Celtics.
