Private equity mogul William Chisholm has agreed to buy the Boston Celtics in a deal that values the NBA’s reigning champions and most-decorated franchise at a minimum of $6.1 billion.

It’s the largest price ever for American professional sports team.

If the deal is approved by the NBA’s board of governors this summer, the sale would top the $6.05 billion paid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023.

Chisholm is a Massachusetts native and graduate of Dartmouth College who is the managing partner of California-based Symphony Technology Group.

gophers sports

Wideout Bassingame commits to football team

The Gophers football program added a commitment Thursday from Arizona prep receiver Rico Bassingame for the 2026 recruiting class.

Bassingame, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, picked the U over offers from Wisconsin, Arizona, Washington, Texas A&M, Indiana, Iowa State and others. He recently visited the U campus.

Bassingame, who has 6-foot-7 wingspan, had 53 receptions for 690 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games during the 2024 season, according to 247sports. He also plays basketball at Tolleson Union High School, with his father, Ryan Bassingame, as coach.

The three-star prospect is the fifth player to pledge to the U for next year’s class.

— Andy Greder

Stevenson earns 100th win of career at NCAAs

Gable Stevenson earned the 100th win of his collegiate career during the opening session of the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Stevenson, the top seed at heavyweight, pinned 33rd seed Hayden Filiopovich of Purdue. It was his 16th career pin and second at the NCAAs.

In all, three Gophers are headed to Friday’s quarterfinals. Joining Stevenson are Vance VomBaur and Max McEnelly.

NHL

Ovechkin scores 888th goal, 7 away from Gretzky

Alex Ovechkin has scored his 888th career goal to move seven away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record.

Ovechkin scored in the Washington Capitals’ home game against the Philadelphia Flyers, beating Samuel Ersson with 5:35 left in the first period.

The 39-year-old winger now has 35 goals this season, tied for the fourth most in the league. Ovechkin at his current pace has a chance to to pass Gretzky’s legendary 894-goal mark, which was long considered unapproachable, later this spring.

college basketball

Duke’s Flagg a go for March Madness

Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg said he’ll be ready to play in Friday’s NCAA Tournament opener against Mount St. Mary’s as he recovers from a sprained ankle.

Flagg missed the last two games in top-seeded Duke’s run to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title.

Columbia nets 1st NCAA women’s tourney victory

Riley Weiss scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Columbia rally from a 13-point halftime deficit and beat Washington 63-60 for the school’s first-ever NCAA Women’s Tournament victory.

Cecelia Collins added 12 points for the Lions (24-6), who won the First Four matchup of 11-seeds. They’ll face sixth-seeded West Virginia on Saturday.

Washington (19-14) was led by Sayvia Sellers’ 21 points.

William & Mary wins first-ever tourney game

Bella Nascimento scored 24 points and William & Mary edged High Point 69-63 for a victory in the Tribe’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in either women’s or men’s basketball.

The victory in the First Four matchup of 16-seeds sends William & Mary (16-18) into a game with No. 1 seed Texas on Saturday.

William & Mary was the last original Division I basketball member from 1938-39 to have never made either NCAA Tournament.

The Tribe qualified by winning the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament as a No. 9 seed.

Lauren Scott scored 19 points, Aaliyah Collins 18 and Jaleesa Lawrence 15 for the Panthers (21-12).

MLB

Braves sign Verdugo on 1-year, $1.5 million deal

The Atlanta Braves bolstered their outfield depth on Thursday by signing Alex Verdugo to a $1.5 million, one-year contract and optioning him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Verdugo, 28, hit .233 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs for the New York Yankees in 2024 following four seasons with Boston. He took a big cut in pay from last year, when he had an $8.7 million base salary and earned $50,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances.

NFL

Browns sign former Bears offensive lineman Jenkins

Offensive lineman Teven Jenkins signed with the Cleveland Browns.

Jenkins, who will be entering his fifth NFL season in 2025, spent the past four years with Chicago. He was a second-round pick by the Bears in 2021 and appeared in 45 games at left tackle, left guard and right guard, including 38 starts. He started 14 games at left guard last season.

Jenkins though has missed 38 games during his NFL career due to a variety of injuries. He was sidelined for three games last season due to an ankle sprain and calf injury.

olympics

Coventry named first female IOC president

Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee.

She’s the first woman and first African to get perhaps the biggest job in global sports, and aged just 41. The Zimbabwe sports minister is just the 10th leader in the IOC’s 131-year history after one of the most open Olympic elections in decades. She got a stunning win in first-round voting by IOC members in a seven-candidate contest. She gets an eight-year mandate into 2033.

— From news services