Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal would love to own a particular NBA franchise in Florida, but it may not be the one you think.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest centers in NBA history. However, despite playing for six different teams during his 20-year career his years with the Los Angeles Lakers are what he is most remembered for.
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O’Neal was a member of the legendary franchise for only eight seasons, but in that time he went to seven All-Star games and posted numbers that landed him among the top 10 all-time in points, rebounds, blocks, and field goals for a franchise that has a slew of Hall-of-Fame alumni. However, winning three straight championships from 2000 to 2002 has forever linked him to the organization.
Yet, he has a deep history with a couple of other teams. One of the most notable is the Miami Heat. “The Diesel” played two and a half seasons in South Beach and helped the franchise win its first NBA title in 2006. While his time with the franchise was short, he left an indelible impact that will last forever.
That is why when he brought up the idea of being an NBA owner in Florida during a conversation with Sports Illustrated this week, the assumption was he meant the Heat. However, it’s not Miami, as he actually revealed his hopes to one day own the team that took him with the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic.
” I don’t know [if the team’s for sale], but if it is I want to be the guy.”
– Shaquille O’Neal on buying Orlando Magic
The Los Angeles Lakers great made his name during four All-Star seasons with the Orlando Magic before he took his talents to LaLa Land in free agency during the summer of 1996. He also took the franchise to their first NBA Finals where they lost to the Houston Rockets in four games.
Orlando Magic owner Dan Devos has been the head of the franchise since 1991 and revealed a few years ago that the family has no intention of selling the team in the near future. Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth is believed to be over $400 million.