It used to be back in the 1970s know one really cared who the Boston Celtics owner was.

As far as the fans were concerned, the only guy who was in charge was Red Auerbach. And that’s why they always won.

It wasn’t until the man who turned Kentucky Fried Chicken into a household meal bought the Celtics in the late 1970s, a franchise swap with then owner Irv Levin, who took over the Buffalo Braves and moved them to become the San Diego Clippers. That’s when John Y. Brown almost drove Auerback to New York. Why? Brown, as the story goes, at the suggestion of his wife, NFL Today star Phyllis George, traded three No. 1 picks to the New York Knicks for scorer Bob McAdoo.

That’s when ownership of the Celtics started to make a difference – in the wrong way.

What kind of difference will billionaire William Chisholm make?

That’s the key. He’s going to have some big decisions in a few years, about the same time former ownership group member Wyc Grousbeck is done as CEO. Funny how that goes.

But right now, the Celtics in the building have confidence things will be fine.

Why?

“I mean, just everything you all heard,” Tatum told the media. “Grew up around the area, big Boston fan, is proud of what we’ve accomplished and understands what the Celtics mean to the city and to the NBA. Wanted to be a part of that and help take it forward any way he can. … I have no doubt things will continue to run smoothly.”

That last sentence was in talking about Tatum’s confidence in assurances he got from Grousbeck on how things would go.

Ownership began to mean more for the Celtics after that Brown-Levin swap. The team sagged into losing it had never really experienced with Auerbach around in the late 1970s, but then Brown’s partner Harry Mangurian bought out Brown in 1979. The Celtics had drafted Larry Bird, Auerbach made more moves (Kevin McHale, Robert Parish) and well, another chapter in the dynasty was born. The Patriots are hoping their management team can pull off the same thing, right?

Then Mangurian sold the team to the threesome of Don Gaston, Alan N. Cohen and Paul Dupee, Jr. The Celtics thrived under that group until, well, Bird retired and Gaston handed the team to his son, Paul Gaston. It wasn’t great during that time.

Then in came the Grousbeck family on its white horse, and all eventually improved.

So you see, ownership does make a difference in today’s sports world, right? That’s because owners know they can make money, but will have to spend money to do it with today’s player salaries. But, often they opt to make even more money by not spending on the team. Current Celtics ownership, you can remember Grousbeck noting, spends to win. Grousbeck’s famous line that “We will be paid in parades.”

Will Chisholm have the same approach? Just hope that there’s not an owner he wants to swap franchises with.

Tom King can be reached at

tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on X @Telegraph _TomK.