The Sacramento Kings aren’t winning any awards for their success in the NBA. With 29 playoff appearances in 73 seasons and no Championship victory since the 50s, the Kings have been described as dysfunctional, unsuccessful, and generally forgettable overall.
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the organization was Shaquille O’Neal’s role as part-owner of the club. Being a legend and charismatic figure, his presence on the team was seen as a boost to their overall appeal and weighed heavily on the overall optimism of the fanbase.
Unfortunately, though, O’Neal is planning to sell his stake in the team.
Why? Apparently to move on to his new business venture with the online gaming division of Wynn Resorts Ltd:
Through the long-term partnership, O’Neal will be featured prominently in WynnBET’s advertising campaigns across TV, digital and print. Additionally, O’Neal will attend in-person fan-facing events, create original content with WynnBET and interact as a guest with company media partners such as Blue Wire Podcasts, Cumulus Media and Minute Media. O’Neal will also be launching ‘ShaqPot,’ a Free To Play (FTP) game housed inside the WynnBET app.
“Shaquille O’Neal has been a great friend of Wynn Las Vegas for many years, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with him through a partnership with WynnBET,” Wynn Interactive CEO Craig Billings said. “A successful businessman, NBA legend and one of the most well-known personalities in sports media, we believe our players will enjoy interacting with him through the WynnBET app and are excited to feature Shaq in our advertising campaign set to debut later this summer.”
To comply with NBA rules, Shaquille will be selling his ownership stake in the Sacramento Kings.
This has been received with mixed reactions from the fans, for obvious reasons.
Being the businessman that Shaq is, it’s no surprise to see him continuing to expand his empire and take on new opportunities. Today, his net worth stretches to about $400 million.
For the Kings, they will continue to do their thing. While it’s unknown how much of an impact Shaq had on the decision-making, the team will definitely miss all that he brought to the table as an owner.
Hopefully, there are better days ahead for the franchise, and they can find some success in the near future.
