“Imagine with Steph Curry coming into play” – Shaquille O'Neal drops hints on owning NBA team in Las Vegas
Shaquille O'Neal has spoken previously about owning an NBA team. When ex-Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver announced that he would sell the team amid controversy, the former Lakers star's name was mentioned.
At the time, however, he explained that with Jeff Bezos in contention, he wanted no part of the ownership competition that was sure to follow. He added that he would be willing to join in as part of an ownership group.
Since then, the talk of an NBA expansion has continued to surface. As commissioner Adam Silver explained recently, the idea of expansion would likely begin to ramp up once the league's media rights deal is up in 2025.
During a recent interview with People Magazine, Shaquille spoke about the situation. While weighing in on the possibility of Las Vegas getting a team,
"I would love that to happen, and I would love to be the owner of that team or part of the ownership group.
"For one, you already have a loyal fan base. And imagine with Steph Curry coming into play. Not only do you have the local fan base, you have all the big-time gamblers that come who want tickets and all the businesses and people that are going to the Usher and the Bruno Mars show. So that'd definitely be a great place."
What has Adam Silver said about an NBA expansion prior to Shaquille O'Neal's comments?
Given that an expansion will likely occur in the next few years, let's look back at what Adam Silver has said about an expansion.
Silver appeared at the 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July. Given the tournament's location, the commissioner quickly began fielding questions about the possibility of Vegas getting its team down the line.
While he stopped short of confirming that an expansion will be part of the negotiations, he was quoted by CBS Sports as saying:
"We will look at [Vegas]. There's no doubt there's enormous interest in Seattle. That's not a secret. There are other markets that have indicated interest. For the people who hear or read about this interview, we are not engaged in that process now. We're not taking meetings right now with any potential groups.
"What we're saying to everyone, privately is the same thing I'm saying publicly that there'll be a very open process at the time already to consider expansion. But that's not yet. That's not yet now."
With LeBron James also eager to jump into ownership, it will be interesting to see whether he and Shaquille O'Neal both bid for a team.
(Suggested Reading: Chris Broussard says Giannis and Steph are a dream pairing.)