Credit where it’s due. Thanks to our friends at TheMessenger.com for sharing their exclusive story with the ShaqFu Radio blog. Our man Shaq talked to TheMessenger just after his big “Event” in Las Vegas last weekend about big, hoops-related plans for Sin City.
One of the biggest names currently in the game, LeBron James, has talked about wanting to be a part of an ownership group that would being an NBA expansion team to Las Vegas.
Great idea…but not so fast, O’Neal says. In an interview with The Messenger, Shaq also talked about hoops in the desert. “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.”
Not only that. O’Neal says he’s not really interested in sharing ownership with a bigger team. “I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself.”
Shaq gave the exclusive interview to The Messenger at The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation’s annual charity gala, The Event, which (as of this posting) was last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Event raises money for The Boys and Girls Clubs and Communities In Schools throughout Las Vegas and also Atlanta. Vegas is an O’Neal favorite, but of course he lives in ATL during the basketball season, to be close to the TNT studios and his day job, working as analyst on Inside the NBA.
O’Neal has some history in the NBA ownership game. He’s already been part of a larger ownership team that held the Sacramento Kings. Back in 2013, but sold his interest in the Kings when he entered a business deal with WynnBet and Wynn Resorts Las Vegas. NBA rules prohibit team owners from being involved with any business that wagers on game outcomes.
Still, when he sold his portion of the Kings, he was already looking ahead to his next potential deal. In a social media post, he told fans (and teams), “Till we meet again…”
What are the chances of Vegas getting an NBA team of it’s own? Of course the NBA Summer League is a big draw there already, and commissioner Adam Silver has said league will look at possible expansion once the next media rights deals are done. That’ll happen in 2025, so not that far away. .
As for expansion slots, both Las Vegas and Seattle are at the top of the list of possibilities. For any potential ownership group, here’s some strong advice: Bring lots – LOTS – of cash. While an expansion team won’t have the same costs as buying an existing team, it’ll still be a chunk. Keep in mind the most recent sale of an existing franchise: The Phoenix Suns going for a cool $4 billion!
As for Shaq, he says it makes sense to bring an NBA team to Las Vegas, which in the past six years has become the home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, the current Stanley Cup champions; the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, the current WNBA champions; and the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, who do an awesome job hosting the visiting team’s fans. With all due respect, most Raiders games are 50/50 with fans from the visiting team. After all, Vegas is a great vaca destination!
Still, Shaq likes the local-team idea. “I’ve been living in Las Vegas for over 20 years,” O’Neal said. “I love it here. Las Vegas has always been a city you knew was going to grow. You could see different casinos, different real estate projects and different night clubs popping up. I’ve always been a part of it. I used to own one of the hottest night clubs, sold it and now I got 9-10 restaurants here. I’m doing very, very well and I want to continue to grow with Vegas.”
Vegas may indeed soon have a place where a full-on NBA team could call home. One of the big names to attend The Event was Tim Leiweke, who’s already got team ownership experience. Today, he’s the CEO of the Oak View Group, which wants to build a $10 billion resort in Las Vegas with an NBA-ready arena as its centerpiece.
NBA in Vegas? Maybe soon!