Whereas Robert Sarver decided to sell the Phoenix Suns, potential buyers are numerous. The two richest men in the world, Elon Musk et Jeff Bezos, would be in particular in the running to take over the franchise. Faced with such leaders, Shaquille O’Neal knows he’s no match for it. But that doesn’t stop him from wanting his piece of the pie.
Shaq, who was considering buying Sarver’s shares from the Suns, quickly abandoned the idea. With his assets of around 400 million dollars, the former Lakers pivot does not play in the same category as his competitors, some of whom weigh more than 100 billion. Seeing the other names on the list, he preferred to withdraw his immediately.
“I was open [à l’idée d’acheter l’équipe] until I see the initials “JB”. Let me tell you something: we don’t play with James Brown, we don’t play with Jeff Bezos. When the boys go on stage, you have to shake your ass and leave. […] I’m not even going to put my name in the basket this time”he explained in his podcast.
However, O’Neal has not completely given up on his goal. On the contrary, he would be rather willing to follow Bezos in his investment, as a minority owner. “If he wants me on this one, I would be happy to talk to him”, he told TMZ.
In his career, the big man went through the Suns as a player. He has indeed played a hundred matches in Phoenix, following his best years in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant and its title with Dwyane Wade at the Heat. Shaquille O’Neal was also part of a group of owners in the NBA, that of the Kings, between 2013 and 2022. It is therefore for him a familiar ground, which he apparently hopes to find at some point. .
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