It is the right time to be someone with the wealth and interest in becoming an owner of an NBA franchise. Not only is the league headed towards an expansion that will add 2 more teams to the league, but one of the best teams in the NBA right now, the Phoenix Suns, is up for sale.
Former NBA players always want to own NBA teams if they are in a financial position to afford them. Michael Jordan became the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and is currently the only former player to be a majority owner of an NBA team. LeBron James has declared his intention to own an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas, and Shaquille O’Neal has cryptically announced his intention to look into owning an NBA team, as he told CNN in Abu Dhabi.
Four-time NBA champion and 2000 NBA MVP Shaquille O’Neal sent out a cryptic message reiterating his wish to invest in an NBA team, after rebuffing reports earlier this month https://t.co/FhF5zB2wSr
— CNN (@CNN) October 11, 2022
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say. 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 [what it means]. I would like to go back home.” (h/t CNN)
O’Neal was linked to possibly buying the Phoenix Suns, but he had denied that report. It seems LeBron might have some former player company when the 2 new NBA franchises are closer to their existence.
Will Shaquille O’Neal Own An NBA Team?
The intention is just the first step when it comes to owning an NBA team. Shaq’s net worth of $400 million won’t be nearly enough to get an NBA franchise, with the Suns expected to sell for over $3 billion. O’Neal can become a part of a consortium of owners and have a small ownership stake, but being the majority owner isn’t likely for Shaq.
LeBron James will face this issue as well when it comes time for him to make a move toward owning the Vegas franchise. The difference is that LeBron is backed by Fenway Sports Group, the owners of teams like Boston Red Sox and English soccer club Liverpool FC. That avenue makes LeBron a more likely future owner, but Shaq can easily find the right partners and make a push to own a team as well.
