Apr 3, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics logo is seen on the parquet floor at center court before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports Winslow Townson
A current Philadelphia sports owner may buy the Celtics, but despite his ties to Boston, it's not Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.
Instead, Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick of Sportico report that Phillies minority owner Stan Middleman is one of what appear to be four final bidders for one of the most decorated franchises in North American sports history:
The Friedkin Group, Philadelphia Phillies minority owner Stan Middleman and Symphony Technology Group managing partner William Chisholm are among the groups that remain engaged in bidding for the Boston Celtics, according to multiple people familiar with the process.
Those three groups, plus one led by existing Celtics investor Steve Pagliuca, have all participated in management presentations with the NBA team, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the details are private. The next round of bids is due at the end of the week.
Middleman became a limited partner in the Phillies in July of 2023. When the Phillies announced the addition of three new limited partners in November of 2024, the press release added that both Middleman and Phillies manager partner John Middleton "will be contributing additional funds."
Middleman had this to say when he was announced as part of the ownership group.
“I’m delighted to be joining such a wonderful organization,” Middleman said in June of 2023. “It truly is a dream come true. Having grown up in Philadelphia, and spending my childhood as a huge Phillies fan, I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing opportunity in my lifetime. My family and I hope we can be a small part in the continuing success of this world-class sports organization.”
Middleman's additional funds show that he is indeed invested in the Phillies. But Middleman — who founded Freedom Mortgage in 1990 and is still the company's CEO — doesn't have a path to being the controlling partner of the Phillies. While no member of the ownership group owns a majority of the team, Middleton by far has the largest chunk and is about as committed of an owner as there is in the sport.
It's unclear if the Phillies will remain in the Middleton Family beyond when John is the managing partner, but the 70-year-old is in excellent shape. Middleman is also 70, so it's not as though he bought into the Phillies thinking there could one day be a path towards him becoming the managing partner. The 16.25% that Sportico says Middleman owns might be his ceiling with the Phillies.
But it's possible that Middleman bought into the Phillies in part because it gets his foot in the professional sports ownership door, and could improve his resume the next time a team becomes available. Mind you, before Middleman became a minority owner with the Phillies, he attempted to do so with the Cleveland Guardians. The Washington Post also mentioned him as having shown interest when it appeared the Lerner Family was going to sell the Nationals three years ago.
Presumably, Middleman's group that's attempting to purchase the Celtics will have other major investors, as Sportico estimates that the Celtics are worth $5.66 billion.
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