National Basketball Association

Shaquille O'Neal wants to be an NBA owner if league expands to Las Vegas

Updated Oct. 11, 2023 5:28 p.m. ET

Shaquille O'Neal wants to play his hand in NBA ownership, and he wants to do so in Sin City.

"I would like to have my own group," O’Neal told The Messenger in an interview that was published Monday. "I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself."

O'Neal also explained how he has lived in Las Vegas for 20-plus years and that he owns several restaurants in the city.

"I’m doing very, very well and I want to continue to grow with Vegas," he said.

Las Vegas, along with Seattle, has been frequently mentioned as a potential place where the NBA would expand, as it's a continually budding professional sports town. The Vegas Golden Knights, founded in 2017, are the defending Stanley Cup Champions; the Aces, the defending WNBA champions, moved to the town from San Antonio in 2018; the Raiders arrived in Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020, and the Oakland Athletics are expected to follow suit in the coming years.

The Seattle Supersonics are the last NBA team to change identity, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, O'Neal has an estimated net worth of $400 million. O'Neal, 51, is a Hall of Famer who was a 15-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and two-time scoring champion.

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