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Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal was once seen as a potential buyer for the Phoenix Suns before Mat Ishbia took over. While he playfully entertained the idea of NBA ownership, O'Neal made it clear he wouldn't compete with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for the franchise.
Recently, O'Neal hinted at the possibility of teaming up with fellow future Hall of Famer LeBron James and former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to pursue an expansion team. On "The Big Podcast with Shaq" ,Cuban opened the door to this opportunity. After selling his majority stake in the Mavericks, he stated that if it was agreeable to his business partners, he would consider joining forces with O'Neal and James.
"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... want whatever.' And it was Shaq. F**k Yeah. I would look at making a comeback. ... So, you know, we get me, you, LeBron, we might have something there," Cuban said.
NBA expansion awaits till 2027-2028 season
As for the latest on NBA expansion following Shaquille O'Neal's discussion with Mark Cuban, the prospect of their ownership trio could certainly make an impact, given their resources and status in the league. However, the NBA is not expected to expand until the 2027-28 season. An ESPN report from last month noted that while Adam Silver had previously stated discussions wouldn’t begin until after the next media rights deal was finalized, there are no current obstacles to expansion.
The big question remains which cities will receive the new franchises. Seattle, with its rich history linked to the Sonics, and Las Vegas, which has never hosted an NBA team, are currently the top contenders.
A Las Vegas franchise is particularly appealing to James, who has expressed a strong interest in ownership. While it’s unclear when he plans to retire, the targeted 2027-28 season would allow him ample time to finish his playing career before transitioning into an ownership role. With O'Neal and Cuban potentially by his side, James' dream of owning an NBA team could soon become a reality.
The 2024-2025 NBA regular season is all set to kick off. The most anticipated event will start on October 22 and end on April 13, 2025.
