On Monday, the Boston Celtics' ownership group announced its plans to sell all of its shares of the team. The news caught many off guard, including C's superstar Jayson Tatum.
Tatum told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated he was "shocked" to learn of lead owner Wyc Grousbeck's "intentions to sell his stake in the Celtics." The 2024 NBA champion shared his thoughts on the team's impending sale at his JT Elite camp in Las Vegas.
"As to the next owner, Tatum says he “hopes the foundation and structure doesn’t change ... what we built what we have, it’s a great thing. I don’t want things to change," Mannix reported Tuesday.
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Tatum's stunned reaction is understandable. The Celtics are coming off one of the most dominant seasons in franchise history, which ended with Tatum and Co. bringing the elusive Banner 18 to TD Garden. Given the team's success, a sale was the last thing on anyone's mind before Monday.
If Tatum is resistant to change, he'll hope Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca is a part of the next ownership group. In his own statement released on Monday evening, Pagliuca said he hopes "to be part of the Celtics moving forward and will be a proud participant in the bidding process."
The Celtics' sale is expected to begin later this year or early 2025, with owner Wyc Grousbeck ending his term as governor when the sale closes in 2028.
The news of Grousbeck selling the team coincided with Tatum signing a $314 million supermax extension with Boston.
