The Boston Celtics very nearly became the Long Island Celtics, and if that sounds weird to you, you are far from alone. Back in 1970, the team was bought by the owner of TransNational Communications, Woody Erdman. The New Yorker bought the team through his company, which owned the radio broadcasting rights to the New York Mets and Giants. Erdman wanted to capitalize on his connections in the Big Apple, pushing the Nassau county government to allow him to relocate the team to Long Island.
“I’m a New Yorker, and it’s natural for me to want my teams to play in New York,” he was quoted as saying in Newsday (via the same publication’s Jim Baumbach). “It’s kind of a scary thought, and I’m saying that only because of tradition,” Celtics wing Don Chaney opined of the potential move.
“It doesn’t even sound right, the Long Island Celtics.”
Celtics Lab 276: A closer look at the Olympics, Team USA, and the Celtics with Noa Dalzell https://t.co/8pKriN9TpA pic.twitter.com/BxWhKDs48x
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 5, 2024
The move never materialized, however, with Nassau County officials ultimately rejecting the bid to move the team.
Soon after, Erdman went into bankruptcy, and ownership of the team reverted to the prior owner, ending any possibility of a Celtics relocation.
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