On August 20th Beijing time, the NBA's Boston Celtics officially announced that an investment group led by William Chisholm has completed its acquisition of Celtics shares following unanimous approval from the NBA Board of Governors. This record-breaking acquisition deal for a Boston professional sports team now features a Chinese element - Lawrence Ho, son of Macau gaming tycoon Stanley Ho, has become a co-owner and board member of the Celtics organization.
**From Fan to Owner**
Subsequently, Ho shared on social media: "I am proud to announce that I have officially become a co-owner and board member of the Boston Celtics. Thank you to Chisholm for allowing me to join this record-breaking transaction consortium. As a lifelong Celtics fan, I will continue to give everything to the organization - this responsibility officially begins now! Tears of joy blur my vision as I write these words, this is undoubtedly one of the happiest moments of my life."
"Friends, you know who to contact for courtside tickets now, LET'S GO CELTICS!"
Ho is a devoted Celtics fan who frequently attended games at the team's home venue during his studies in Boston. During the 2024 NBA Finals, he made a special trip to the United States to watch the games, appearing courtside wearing a custom jersey with "Boston 7" printed on it. Now, Ho's identity has transformed from fan to owner.
In an interview with Tencent Sports, Ho revealed that his investment in the Celtics was connected to a listing experience from last year. On July 26, 2024, NIP Group Inc., founded by Ho, was listed on NASDAQ, becoming China's first esports company to enter international capital markets.
"When my company went public in the US last year, I met friends on Wall Street. At the beginning of this year, they proactively approached me, asking if I, as a devoted fan, wanted to give it a try," Ho said regarding becoming a Celtics investor. He emphasized that such opportunities are rare: "If you don't seize this kind of opportunity, you might have to wait 30 years for another chance."
Ho also noted that entering NBA team management requires participants to undergo strict background checks by the league and obtain unanimous consent from the other 29 team owners, making investment extremely difficult. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, when selecting seats for home games, that Ho truly realized he would become a team owner.
This makes Ho the second Chinese person to own NBA team shares, following Joe Tsai.
**Entry Equals 99% Success, Aiming to Be a Cultural Bridge**
Ho believes that the NBA's influence continues to expand, and the Celtics still have significant potential in Asia to gain more fans and commercial value. What distinguishes this investment from previous ones is the emotional factor and dream-chasing component.
"Investing in a team is more of a new life experience, with different risks compared to previous investments. NBA teams are excellent assets, so the more difficult part is how to get in - being able to enter already represents 99% victory," Ho stated.
Regarding future plans, Ho will focus on exploring the Asian market, particularly China, hoping to make greater contributions to Sino-US basketball cultural exchange while learning from Joe Tsai.
"I hope that when people talk about owner Lawrence Ho five years from now, the first thing they think of is 'bridge,' followed by 'passion,' and then 'responsibility,'" Ho said.
Ho understands the significance behind the NBA seeking a Chinese owner: "There are differences between Eastern and Western sports cultures. Respect and understanding are prerequisites. We need more frequent communication to make Sino-US cultural exchange more effective."
Notably, in October 2025, the NBA China Games will be held at The Venetian Macao's Cotai Arena, marking the return of NBA China Games after a six-year absence. Ho considers this fate and expressed his intention to advocate for more opportunities for the Celtics to come to China for games, tours, and fan meetups.
When discussing the NBA, the conversation naturally turned to Yang Hansen joining the Trail Blazers. Ho candidly shared that he watched the draft videos multiple times and was extremely excited to see Yang Hansen selected, as it represents another young Chinese player shining in the NBA and provides tremendous encouragement for Chinese basketball. When faced with the dilemma of "what if Yang Hansen's Trail Blazers play against the Celtics," he said he would hope for a Celtics victory while also wanting Yang Hansen to perform well statistically.
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