Can LeBron James Actually Own the Boston Celtics?

LeBron James could own the Boston Celtics. Someday.

May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks at his wife Savannah James in the second quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James has an ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group. Fenway Sports Group is considering making a bid for the Boston Celtics. According to the transitive property, if Fenway Sports Group bought the Boston Celtics, that would make LeBron James the owner of the Boston Celtics.

It is considered cruel to point this out to Celtics fans because their team was eliminated from the postseason by LeBron James and either the Miami Heat or Cleveland Cavaliers four times in the last decade before James signed with their most bitter historical rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.

But will LeBron really own the Celtics? Can he? Let's investigate.

Can LeBron James own another team?

Only in the sense that LeBron James owns any defender. An active player owning another team in the league is a pretty obvious conflict of interest. One of those things that is so obvious it almost doesn't really require an explanation. And yet, here we are.

Could LeBron own the Boston Celtics in the future?

Yes. He's got a lot of money and a stake in the company currently trying to buy the Celtics. While LeBron can't own the Celtics while he's still playing, he could easily be retired by the time sale is completed in 2028. Then sure, LeBron can own the Celtics, the team that he had one of his fiercest rivalries with and some of his most iconic postseason performances against.

Will LeBron own the Boston Celtics?

Probably not. The timing of the sale makes it unlikely, but on top of that it makes the most sense for LeBron James to be the owner or co-owner of the expansion team everyone thinks will end up in Las Vegas. LeBron has expressed interest in the past and was mentioned in an article in a Fortune article last month.

James — a billionaire in his own right — has said he wants to own a team and pointed to Las Vegas. The Los Angeles Lakers star is backed by RedBird Capital Partners and Fenway Sports Group, with both parties investing in James’ The SpringHill Company in 2021.

“They have everything here,” James said in December after the league’s first in-season tournament was held in Las Vegas.

Should Fenway Sports Group buy the Celtics, it shouldn't be hard for LeBron to cash out and find some other investors. Then he can go about building a franchise that will haunt the Celtics forever.