Shaquille O’Neal now says he’s willing to work with LeBron James on NBA team in Las Vegas

The NBA’s potential expansion to Las Vegas has attracted the attention of many celebrities, including Los Angeles Lakers icons Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.

Initially, O’Neal emerged as a rival to James, expressing his desire to have his own ownership group and not partner with anyone, presumably not even the four-time MVP. However, the Hall of Famer has apparently changed his mind, recently stating that he’s willing to cooperate as long as he’s involved in bringing an NBA franchise to Sin City.

“If an NBA team were to come here, I would definitely be involved,” he told The Courier. “With LeBron, without LeBron, I just want to be a part of it.”

It seems O’Neal has a deep affection for Las Vegas. He is currently in town to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the first Formula One race to be held in the city since 1982.

He may have another chance to join a sports team in Las Vegas, with Major League Baseball owners approving the relocation of the Oakland Athletics franchise to the famed Nevada city.

There were reports that the team might welcome minority shareholders, but O’Neal was not interested in the idea, saying he would rather be part of a basketball organization where he had decision-making authority.

“Not baseball,” he said. “Maybe football, definitely basketball, but not baseball. I want to be a part of it. There are two types of owners. Some owners just have bragging rights and I’m a part owner, and some people like to make the decisions.” At some point, I want to be involved in the decision-making process. “

The legendary mogul’s record as a minority owner may not go unnoticed by many. He held a minority stake in the Sacramento Kings from 2013 to 2022.

Although it’s unclear how much O’Neal invested in building the roster and coaching staff, the Kings never made the playoffs during that period. Even so, during that time, Sacramento was able to build the foundation of its roster that helped the team reach the playoffs last season.

It remains to be seen whether James would be willing to be in the same ownership group as O’Neal. To be sure, the 19-time All-Star has publicly stated his desire to own a team in Las Vegas.

As the first active NBA player to officially become a billionaire, James may have enough resources to become the majority owner of a team on his own.

The Lakers superstar clearly still has enough energy to finish the season. But it looks like he’ll still be involved in the league in one way or another once he hangs up his boots.