The Boston Celtics must pay outlandish amounts to maintain their roster for next season. Yet, as soon as they went on sale, the suitors didn’t hesitate to commit to the project. It began with Fenway Sports Group, which has LeBron James as their partner, showing interest in the bid. If they close the deal, the King would eventually become a part owner of the city he hates playing in the most. Now the 18-time champions’ magnetism has attracted one of the biggest fishes – Jeff Bezos.

Jeff Bezos Throws Cold Water on LeBron's Celtics Ownership Bid as Boston's Warning Rings Loud - EssentiallySports

According to Bill Simmons, Bezos’ name has reverberated along the NBA walls when mentioning the Celtics’ ownership. There is a belief he is truly interested in acquiring the reigning champions. With Amazon having a new media rights deal with the NBA, Bezos owning the Celtics would multiply his already heavy league portfolio.

USA Today via Reuters

Previously during the early days of Wyc Grousbeck relaying his intentions to sell the team, Bezos coincidentally sold $5 billion worth of Amazon stock. Many believed it was an early sign of his interest in owning the Celtics, valued at close to $6 billion. While Jeff Bezos hasn’t personally spoken about ever wanting to own the side, Simmons believes he has made forward strides to transform the Celtics.

Viewing them as “one of the crown jewel franchises,” Bezos plans to not only build a new stadium for the franchise but also clean his image using the ownership status. Additionally, with the help of his net worth (surplus of $200 billion), the Celtics can manage to retain their championship core for years to come.

Celtics fans rejoice with latest Jeff Bezos update

It’s not that only LeBron James despises the Celtics fanbase. The supporters of the Shamrock aren’t very fond of the King either. Hence, they were on board with having Bezos as their new owner. However, one passionate fan of the Celtics has put forward some strict demands. Barstools’ Celtics reporter Dan Greenberg went to X to speak about the latest ownership buzz around the franchise.

While he didn’t care who eventually took the helm, Greenberg did have some instructions the new owners must follow. It included trusting in both Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens’ methods and paying the exorbitant luxury tax required to keep the roster intact. Lastly, and some good news for Bezos, is he didn’t want FSG to take ownership.

Apart from his plea, other Celtics fans were busy celebrating the arrival of Bezos. The Amazon CEO’s deep pockets ensure the Boston Celtics can accommodate lucrative contracts like those of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. In that reference, one fan wrote, “We signing everyone to a max deal now” 

The Celtics currently have the second-highest payroll in the NBA. Come next season, their situation will be such that their luxury payments will surpass their salary bill. To maintain such luxurious standards without breaking a sweat, the financial power of Jeff Bezos seems to be a must.

Among the wildest of suggestions is the fact that Jeff Bezos might be looking to relocate the Celtics to Seattle. According to one fan, “Seattle Sonics are coming back one way or another!“.

While it’s unlikely for a prestigious organization like the Celtics to ever relocate, some reasons make it seem like a possibility. Firstly, Amazon’s headquarters reside in Seattle. Furthermore, Bezos is also looking into buying the Seattle Seahawks after the death of the franchise’s previous owner, Paul Allen.

There was also some opposition regarding Bezos’ potential takeover of the Shamrocks. Some NBA fans were evidently upset about the cashflow advantage the franchise would receive. But the more pressing matter was his already locked media rights deal with the NBA. “This should be rejected. Bezos would own a portion of the NBA with Amazon Prime and own a team” a fan wrote.

As part of the new media rights deal, Amazon Prime got the smallest package of NBA games for the coming season. Hence, while not directly attached, Bezos’ position with the league might pose challenges. Time will tell whether Adam Silver sees any issues. But till then, it seems the Celtics fanbase has opened the doors for Jeff Bezos.