Buying the Boston Celtics
So, it easily can be considered one of the most time-consuming and stressful jobs, and yet many owners across sports leagues choose to own multiple teams. Recently the Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie has been looking into the possibility of buying the Boston Celtics. If finalized, he will join the growing crew of owners who own multiple teams based in different states, adding another layer of complexity to their role.
Ultimately if you do want to make offshore bets on the Boston Celtics and who will be their new owner, the smart money isn't going on Lurie as he appears to distance himself, but is there a precedent for this being a success?
Which owners own multiple teams in different states?
Here is a list of owners who own multiple teams across different states and an analysis of their team's successes.
Magic Johnson
Hall of Fame basketball player Magic Johnson has been active in pursuing ownership of different teams. Most of the teams he owns are based in Los Angeles such as the Lakers, the WNBA team the Sparks, and an MLB team the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, in 2023, he joined a group of investors who purchased the team now known as the Washington Commanders, and his impact was felt immediately. The Washington franchise had been through much turmoil not only in its executive suite but also on the field. The year before he gained ownership of the team, they went 8-8 and did not make the playoffs. The first year of his ownership while he was still getting his footing the team went 4-13 again without making the playoffs. However, once he got his footing, he amongst others hired head coach Dan Quin and decided on drafting rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels who went on to impress his first year in the league leading the team to a 12-5 record and a playoff berth which resulted in them making it to the NFC championship losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite the loss, Magic helped take a team not considered to be a serious competitor for many years into a well-rounded team with their quarterback of the future and a coach who has demonstrated his scheme can help take a team to the playoffs.
This is to add on top of the success he has had with his LA-based teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers have won two World Series since he became the owner of the team in 2012, and the Sparks won a championship in 2016. Despite the teams being on different sides of the country he has still been able to maintain competitive teams every year.
Stan Kroenke
Well-known for his real estate ventures, Stan Kroenke started his venture into owning teams in the mid-90s when he became the minority owner in the St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams). He then moved on to become the full owner of the Colorado teams in the NBA NHL, MLS, and the NLL.
In 2010 he took the step to be the full owner of the Los Angeles Rams which was approved by the NFL owners.
Through his ownership, these teams have gone on to have sustained success. The Los Angeles Rams (then St. Louis Rams) won a Super Bowl four years after he became a minority leader in 1999, and then in 2021 when he was the full-time owner. With the Denver Nuggets, since he purchased the team in 2000, they have remained a top-tier team in the league year after year culminating in their NBA championship in the 2022-2023 season. He has also won two championships with his NLL team and two Stanley Cups with his NHL team. He has been responsible for drafting and trading for high-level players like Allen Iverson in 2006, Nikola Jokìc in 2014, and Matthew Staford in 2021. He has been the visionary and the architect of the teams he has owned and despite them being in different states he has managed to keep them playing at a high level.
Conclusion
What these two examples demonstrate is that it is possible to own teams in two different states and be successful. Owners physically cannot be everywhere, but their leadership is required nonetheless daily. Johnson spends much of his time in California, but this has not hindered him from making franchise-altering decisions for his team in Washington D.C. The same can be said with Stan Kroenke who has many teams in Colorado he must look after yet has managed to take his Rams team both when they were in St. Louis and now in Los Angeles to the Super Bowl. It is not easy running teams in different states, but it is possible to have success if each team gets the necessary attention, and the right decisions are made.
