While it’s a widely-known fact former U.S. president Barack Obama is a fan of basketball, he and former First Lady Michelle Obama didn’t make a big ticket purchase over the weekend because of the sport.
Or at least, it doesn’t seem to be the primary motivation for the pair to have bought Boston Celtics lead Governor Wyc Grousbeck’s $11.75 million-dollar estate on Martha’s Vineyard over the weekend, though the topic had to have come up at some point in the negotiations.
The estate, which was originally on the market for $14.85 million dollars over the summer, includes a seven-bedroom, 6,900 square foot residence with a swimming pool with two guest wings just a stone’s throw away from the (private, of course) beach and boathouse, reports TMZ.
The story first bubbled up over summer as the power couple spent the summer renting the near-palatial digs on the toney Massachusetts island.
NBC Boston reports the mansion was originally listed at $22.5 million in 2015, but whether the lack of buyers or the gravity of the eventual purchasers drove down the price, it’s safe to say the Obama’s got themselves an excellent deal on the purchase.
No word at present on whether Barack and Michelle will be showing up courtside now that they have a home in driving distance (if you take the ferry, anyway) of TD Garden.
If nothing else, Wyc will have an in for any prospects of interest coming out of the Basketball Africa League the former president has taken a role in getting off the ground.
In related news, former Boston Celtic big man Kelly Olynyk just now sold his own (likely more modest) home in the greater Boston area, reports the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.
Kelly Olynyk said he just sold his place in Boston. "Can always buy another one though."
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) December 4, 2019
In town to play his former team in the Miami Heat’s losing effort, the Gonzaga product hinted at an enduring connection to his first NBA fanbase, making a point to note he could “always buy another one though”.
It’s not out of the question that the Kamloops native could find his way back to the team that drafted him given he’s on a decent-value contract and the team needs a frontcourt upgrade, but for now, it’s probably wiser to see what the team can develop internally.
For now it seems more likely the former Celtic could take advantage of a weak free agent market this summer by opting out of his current, four-year, $50 million-dollar deal, maybe even playing for Toronto, the league’s sole Canadian team.