Shaq Wants To Beat LeBron James To The Punch And Bring An NBA Team To Las Vegas

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LeBron James has mentioned a countless number of times that when he retires from playing in the NBA he'd like to bring a franchise to Las Vegas and own the expansion team. Saying 'I'm going to own an NBA team in Las Vegas' is easier said than done, however, even for someone as wealthy and influential as LeBron.

On top of the fact that the NBA bringing a team to Sin City is nothing more than hearsay at this point, James isn't the only person out there who would like to own the hypothetical franchise.

Shaquille O'Neal is more than interested in the idea, and not just for a piece of the franchise as part of some ownership group, he wants the whole thing to himself.

“I would like to have my own group,” O’Neal told The Messenger at a charity event this past weekend. “I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself.”

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Shaq is all in on one day owning an NBA team in Las Vegas. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

O'Neal was a part owner of the Sacramento Kings since 2013 but sold his stake in the franchise in 2022. When he shared the news that he sold his stake in the Kings, O'Neal posted a "till we meet again" message to his Twitter account hinting at the fact he could be in the NBA ownership game again sooner rather than later.

Ironically enough, James was asked Tuesday about why he's been so adamant and honest about wanting to own a team in Las Vegas, and he kept his answer simple.

“It just makes sense,” James said. “Obviously, you have the Raiders here. You have the Knights here. You have the Aces here. You got F1 coming very soon. You know, all-star weekend has been there a few times. We have NBA Summer League that’s very popular. Sports is, it’s here."

"You know, I think adding an NBA franchise here would just add to the momentum that’s going on in this town. It’s an attraction. You don’t have to worry about getting fan support or nothing like that. I think it’s only right."

From a league and city of Vegas standpoint, both could be in a worse spot.

Having a potential bidding war between James, Shaq, and the many other interested parties in a potential expansion franchise will do nothing but draw even more buzz to the city, its potential new team, and in turn, the league.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.