Two weeks back, Jeanie Buss, of the family who’ve owned the Los Angeles Lakers since 1979, sold the franchise for $10 billion to Mark Walter, owner of the LA Dodgers. It’s a lot of money, and Shaquille O’Neal, the man who brought three championships to the Lakers, seemed mad he didn’t get any.
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Jeanie took majority control of the Lakers in 2013 after her father, Jerry Buss, passed away. Now, for the first time in decades, someone without the Buss name will own the team. But despite the sale, Jeanie will remain governor, meaning she can still vote on legal decisions and board meetings.
Regardless, for the LA faithful, whether they like the family or not, it will be surreal to imagine them not being the backbone of the Purple and Gold anymore. But how does O’Neal feel about this sale?
The Diesel didn’t have any big thoughts, other than that he wanted a small piece of the pie. He spoke about it during the latest edition of The Big Podcast, with his guest, comedian Bill Bellamy.
“The Lakers got sold for $10 billion… And I didn’t get nothing, dog,” stated the four-time NBA Champion.
“They gave you a ‘thank you for your service’, Shaquille,” responded Bellamy, grinning ear-to-ear. O’Neal was joking, of course. Not that anyone would say no to a few million dollars, but O’Neal has a humongous net worth himself, estimated at over $500 million.
That said, Shaq continued to describe his contribution to the rise in the Lakers’ valuation. “It was Magic [Johnson], me, and Kobe [Bryant]. Can I get something? Can I get a check for like $50 million?” he asked.
Shaq, of course, didn’t get any money from the $10 billion sale. He was never a stakeholder, unlike Magic, who once held a stake in the Lakers but sold all of his shares back in 2010.
Not the Lakers, Shaq might get a stake in a Las Vegas team
Shaq can moan and complain all he wants, it’s all in fun. Besides, the big fella does have a plan to rake in that ownership cha-ching.
The NBA has been discussing the addition of two expansion teams — one in Seattle, where devoted Supersonics fans can finally get back the team they never wanted taken away, and one in Las Vegas. Shaq is more excited about the Sin City team.
“I want to be heavily involved. And if it’s here, heavily involved,” said O’Neal during a recent interview with Channel 3 in Vegas. And O’Neal is not the only one with that desire either.
Several notable stars, including LeBron James, are interested in getting a team in the desert. And why wouldn’t they want one?
Not only is Vegas the entertainment capital of the world, but it’s also done a lot over the past decade to build a real sports culture. They now have three pro sports teams (Aces, Golden Knights, and Raiders) and are expecting a fourth, with the Athletics’ stadium currently under construction.
There seems to be no better time for the NBA to jump in. The league is already there once a year to host the NBA Cup Finals. So why shouldn’t teams get to enjoy Vegas multiple times a season?
