NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal was once among the potential buyers interested in acquiring ownership of the Phoenix Suns before Mat Ishbia. While Shaq expressed interest, he was clear about not wanting to compete against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for the franchise.
Fast-forward to now, the 15-time All-Star big man teased the idea of him, LeBron James, and former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban linking up for an expansion team. In his guesting on “The Big Podcast,” Cuban opened the door for a potential team ownership collaboration.
After selling his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks and giving up most of his controlling interest in the team, the ex-”Shark Tank” star said that he would be willing to join up with Shaq and LeBron on an expansion team if it is okay with his business partners.
“I’d have to make it okay with my current partners, but, yeah, if my kids were like, ‘All right, we’re set. We don’t. You know, that’s not what we want or whatever.’ And it was Shaq. [Expletive] yeah. I would look at making a comeback,” Cuban said. “So, you know, we get me, you, LeBron, we might have something there.”
Mark Cuban on if he’d team up with Shaq to invest in another NBA team 👀 pic.twitter.com/i1qBnGeKVq
— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) October 15, 2024
LeBron James wants to own NBA team in Las Vegas
Last year, LeBron James made known his desire to own an NBA team—or at least be a part-owner—after he stepped away from active competition. His ultimate goal, which he told ESPN, is to bring his franchise to Las Vegas.
The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer already has a partial stake in Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox.
Shaquille O’Neal had also expressed that he also wants to build a team in SIn City if the NBA’s expansion plans push through. And with Shaq recently opening up to Mark Cuban about his idea of a collaboration between them and LeBron James, all they have to do is to wait for the league’s expansion and the star forward’s retirement.
King James is entering his 22nd season in the NBA and is still showing no signs of slowing down despite pushing the age of 40. He re-signed with the Lakers on a two-year deal, giving him options for his future. With his son Bronny James in the team, LeBron Sr. may even consider playing a bit more so they could spend more time together in the league.
The league is targeting the 2027-28 season for an expansion. LeBron James still hasn’t decided when to call it quits, so he might even consider playing until that season, riding out his career before taking on an ownership role.
And with Shaquille O’Neal and Mark Cuban as LeBron James’ potential partners, it could spell big things for the potential expansion team.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.