Fenway Sports Group was identified last summer as a potential bidder for the Celtics, but with Boston’s ownership group expecting its first round of offers by this Thursday, FSG is not expected to be involved in the process, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
Fenway Sports Group is the controlling owner of MLB’s Boston Red Sox, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, and Liverpool FC of the Premier League. The company also has NASCAR and golf properties in its portfolio and has expressed interest in investing in a basketball franchise.
However, FSG CEO Sam Kennedy said in September that a bid for the Celtics was “not on our radar,” and nothing has changed since then, according to Cotillo.
A recent report from The Boston Globe stated that the Celtics’ current controlling owners, led by Wyc Grousbeck, are expecting to receive bids from four or five groups by this Thursday. Current Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca is reportedly heading up one of those prospective ownership groups, but the identity of the other bidders isn’t yet known.
Lakers star LeBron James is involved in Fenway Sports Group as an investor and has repeatedly expressed interest over the years in the idea of owning a franchise in Las Vegas, so there has been speculation – as Cotillo details – that FSG is eyeing a potential Vegas expansion team in the coming years.