As soon as it was made publicly known that the Boston Celtics were up for sale, most people speculated that the new owner would want to build a new arena for the basketball team. After all, who would want to spend $6.1 billion on a team just to pay rent to the Bruins?
Bill Chisholm, whose investment group won the bid to purchase the team, does not sound like someone who is prioritizing a new home for the C’s.
Speaking with Chris Forsberg on a new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast, Chisholm shared the “philosophical pillars” that he and the ownership group share toward the home of the Celtics.
TD Garden is special
First and foremost, Chisholm spoke to the special home-court advantage that the Celtics have at TD Garden.
“I love the Boston Garden,” Chisholm said. “There have been banners raised there. That’s a great place for the fans, it’s a great place for the players. And so that’s a really good place to start.”
Some reverence for the home of the Celtics from the new owner.
The Bruins and Celtics ‘belong together’
While many creative minds envisioned a basketball-centric arena being built potentially outside of the city, Chisholm doesn’t seem to share that same vision.
“Second thing I would say is that the Bruins and Celtics belong together,” Chisholm said. “So no matter what happens, that’s a real priority for me.”
Since their first year in 1946, the Celtics have always shared a home building with the Bruins. TD Garden is owned by Delaware North, the company that owns the Bruins.
The Celtics’ current lease runs through 2035-36 after the team signed a 15-year extension in 2021. Getting out of that lease would be an expensive proposition, but it does not appear to be on the to-do list for the new ownership group.
What’s best for the fans
While all owners have personal feelings and desires, Chisholm said he’s open to hearing the will of the fans when it comes to something that plays such a significant role in their experience following the team.
“The most important thing is we’re going to create the best experience for fans that we can, and we’ll figure out what that is. But that’s kind of how I approach it,” Chisholm said. “We’ll go into it with an open mind, but I think that’s the starting point, those three things.”
Watch Chisholm’s full interview with Forsberg on Celtics Talk:
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