"It'd probably be disrespectful to say it, but I would like to go back home" - Shaquille O'Neal hints at wanting to buy an NBA team, not interested in the Phoenix Suns
Shaquille O'Neal hinted at his dream of owning an NBA team in the future, but said that he's not interested in the Phoenix Suns. O'Neal has an estimated net worth of $400 million, accumulating his wealth from his playing career, sponsorships and numerous businesses.
In an interview with Becky Anderson of CNN, O'Neal was asked about the possibility of owning an NBA team. The Hall of Fame center was linked to the potential sale of the Suns, but quickly removed his name from contention. However, he does want to go "back home" and become the team's owner.
"I don't know if I'm allowed to say," O'Neal said. "It'd probably be disrespectful to say it, but I would like to go back home. I'll leave that to the viewers to figure out. I would like to go back home."
Shaq was thinking about throwing his hat in the ring to purchase the Phoenix Suns, until Jeff Bezos' name came up.
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What did Shaquille O'Neal mean when he said home? O'Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey. The Brooklyn Nets' Joe Tsai bought the team in 2019, so they are not for sale. The New York Knicks are not available even though their fans want James Dolan to sell the team.
O'Neal grew up in San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio Spurs are not for sale at the moment, but there's turmoil in ownership. According to OutKick, chairman and controlling owner Julianna Hawn Holt is finalizing her divorce with Peter Holt. Once the divorce becomes official, the team's ownership will be divided along with their son, Peter J. Holt.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic and LA Lakers could also be considered due to his ties there as a player. Shaq also previously lived in Las Vegas and Atlanta. Las Vegas is rumored to be the next expansion team, while the Hawks had new owners in 2015.
Home could also mean LSU, where he went to college. The closest team to LSU is the New Orleans Pelicans. Shaq currently lives in the Dallas area due to the expansion of his Big Chicken restaurant. However, Mark Cuban has no current plans to sell the Mavericks.
.@SHAQ on NBA ownership: "I'd like to go back home."
The former NBA star was in Abu Dhabi for pre-season games between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks – the first time the tournament has been played in Abu Dhabi. He sat down with @BeckyCNN. https://t.co/T9a6ZPYtg3
Shaquille O'Neal was interested in Phoenix until Jeff Bezos entered the conversation
Shaquille O'Neal showed interest in buying the Phoenix Suns after Robert Sarver decided to sell the team. However, O'Neal backed down after several businessmen such as Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Disney's Bob Iger and Oracle's Larry Ellison were linked with the Suns.
In an episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq," O'Neal said that he does not have the power to compete with guys like Bezos. Shaq may be rich, but he's not Jeff Bezos' kind of rich.
"I was open until I saw the initials JB," O'Neal said. "Let me tell you something, you don't mess with James Brown, you don't mess with Jeff Bezos.
"When the boys come on stage, get your a** and go. Jeff said he wants it, and a couple of other heavy hitters said they want it. I'm not even gonna put my name in the bucket on this one."