BOSTON (AP) — The NBA on Wednesday unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by private equity mogul Bill Chisholm, a deal that values the franchise at more than $6.1 billion — the largest ever for an American professional sports team.

The NBA has formally approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to an investor group led by Bill Chisholm. The league's approval comes nearly five months after the Celtics' ownership agreed to sell the franchise to Chisholm for $6.1 billion, a record for the most a North American professional sports franchise has ever sold for.

The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by William Chisholm, the league announced Wednesday. The deal is expected to close by the end of the week.