How can new owner Bill Chisholm win over Celtics fans? – NBC Sports Boston

Of all the changes the Boston Celtics incurred this offseason, none were bigger than Bill Chisholm becoming the first new owner of the franchise in 22 years.

Chisholm and his ownership group take over as the Celtics begin to chart a new path toward Banner 19 while navigating a series of near-term obstacles, including the absence of superstar Jayson Tatum and the talent squeeze put on the roster by a restrictive collective bargaining agreement.

So how can Chisholm and Co. help shepherd the Celtics forward?

For Day 15 of our Ramp to Camp series, and wrapping up our weeklong look at what’s next for key figures on this year’s team, the spotlight falls on Chisholm and the new ownership group.

It’s our belief that it’s not so much what Chisholm can do, it’s what he shouldn’t do. There’s a value in patience. Take Year 1 and be a fan, be a fly on the wall. Obviously, that’s easy for us to say when we’re not the ones cutting billion-dollar checks as part of a $6.1 billion purchase.

But there are simply too many recent instances of new owners trying to immediately put their stamp on a team. And while it’s completely understandable why these billionaires would want to do such, it’s typically set teams back in their championship quest.

Just google “New Owner Syndrome” and you’ll get a full recap of recent missteps. Hit the images tab and you’ll see a whole lot of Mat Ishbia and the Phoenix Suns, who have already pivoted from their initial changes.

From all accounts, Chisholm seems to have embraced maintaining the status quo. Keeping Wyc Grousbeck on as CEO and alternate governor will help preserve continuity from the last ownership group, and help Chisholm learn exactly what made the last group so successful here.

We love Chisholm’s passion. His fandom is clear. Being courtside will show how invested he is in the players and maintaining the winning culture here. Chisholm and his ownership group will have to deal with the uneducated who will pin the summer cost-cutting on them, instead of acknowledging the second apron. But Boston fans are smart and understand that the Celtics needed to reset a bit this offseason. It’s best to ignore the pundits. 

The last ownership group was willing to spend whenever the team was in position to truly chase a title. If Chisholm maintains that philosophy, he’ll do just fine. Grousbeck and Co. benefitted from putting smart people in charge and letting them do their jobs. They were rewarded with two banners (with trips to two other NBA Finals along the way). 

If the next 22 years are as successful as the previous 22, Chisholm will be revered in this city. 

Let’s find out what our panel wants to see from Chisholm:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Weekly interviews with Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast. (Just kidding … but consider that an open invite, Bill.)

Boston is in very good hands with president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, so Chisholm’s best tactic is to assure fans that Stevens is still calling the roster shots, and that there’s no mandate from on high to cut costs. 

If Chisholm can stay out of the personnel fray while conveying his passion for the team, he’ll have very high approval ratings.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

I think just being visible at the Garden and being around Celtics fans is an important acclimation step.

What made Wyc Grousbeck so beloved was, A) He cared deeply about the Celtics, and B) He was always around. Those aspects also helped Robert Kraft earn plenty of goodwill in New England, while John Henry and Jeremy Jacobs have been dealing with accusations of being “absentee owners.”

It’s difficult to climb out of that hole, so it’s best to simply never get in it.