Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, who has deep ties to the New England region, is in the mix to buy the Boston Celtics, according to a report from Bill Simmons of the Ringer.
Lurie grew up in Boston and was a huge fan of all Boston teams as a kid. He attended Clark University in Worcester, Mass., just outside Boston, for undergrad, earned his master’s from Boston University and received a doctorate from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., also just outside Boston.
Two years before buying the Eagles from Norman Braman for $185 million in 1995, he attempted to buy the Patriots from James Orthwein but dropped out of the bidding, and the franchise was eventually sold to Robert Kraft.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Celtics have been owned since 2002 by Boston Basketball Partners, a large group of New England investors. The franchise is valued at $6 billion, according to Forbes.
Lurie sold an 8 percent share of the Eagles in December, a deal that revealed the Eagles franchise valued at $8.3 billion. That sale raised $664 million. Whether that transaction was related to his interest in the Celtics is unknown.
According to CelticsWire, the Celtics franchise has a price tag in the $5 to $6 billion range, and Boston Basketball Partners plans to sell 51 percent of the franchise now and the remaining 49 percent in 2028.
Back in June, soon after the Celtics won their 18th NBA title, Boston Basketball Partners announced they planned to sell the franchise.
Philadelphia Eagles
Find the latest Philadelphia Eagles news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck said in November he plans to run the franchise through 2028 when the deal is finalized, according to ESPN.
How would Philadelphia sports fans react to the Eagles’ owner owning the 76ers’ biggest rival? It would be a similar arrangement to 76ers owner Josh Harris owning the Commanders, who the Eagles beat Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.
When Lurie bought the Eagles he was perceived as an outsider, but he’s overseen the most successful period in franchise history and has gradually gained massive popularity in Philadelphia.
The Eagles reached one Super Bowl before Lurie bought the franchise, and now they’ve reached four during his ownership, including three in the last eight years.
Lurie has been prepping his son Julian to eventually take over Eagles ownership. Julian has had an official role in the front office since 2022, holding the title business and football operations strategy.
Unlike Braman, who lived in Miami and was rarely with the team in Philadelphia, the 73-year-old Lurie has been a hands-on owner and is at the NovaCare often and is routinely seen at practice.
How purchasing the Celtics would affect Lurie’s connection with the Eagles is unknown. But if the Eagles beat the Chiefs a week from Sunday in Super Bowl LIX and win their second Lombardi Trophy in eight years, it might be difficult for any Philly sports fan to to work up too much ill will toward Lurie.
Tune in to Mission 59 specials leading up to Super Bowl LIX on NBC Sports Philadelphia, presented by Toyota.
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Simplecast | RSS | Watch on YouTube