Shaq Wants To Be An NBA Owner
Shaquille O'Neal (photo. Chenoa Maxwell)
Rap artist manager. Cattle herder + Wrangler Jeans spokesman. Competitive food eater. Wal-Mart greeter. Even an SNL cast member. We’ve given Shaquille O’Neal plenty of outlets to venture into now that he’s retired from the NBA for good. He has his law enforcement engagements, plus his gig teaming up with Charles Barkley to create the best sports-themed show on television. He’s released rap albums. He’s starred in movies, and in major celebrity breakups (Shaq/Kobe). Yet he’s not finished trying to conquer the world.
In an interview with the New York Times, O’Neal admits he wants to one day own a team, and hopefully bring them to Newark, New Jersey.
When asked about those prospects, O’Neal said: “Yes. And I’m looking forward to bringing a team to Newark. I haven’t spoken to Mayor Booker about it yet, but I’m working on it. I know Newark can support an N.B.A. team. And I’m going to be one of the guys that’s going to bring a team there.”　
Could it work? Shaq’s stature as one of the greatest players ever, as well as one of its largest personalities (he earned nearly $300 million as a player, and that doesn’t count his other ventures), has me convinced that he will one day make good on this promise (the first half… I doubt anyone is bringing an NBA team full-time to Newark anytime soon). We’ve seen Michael Jordan do it as a majority owner with Charlotte, and although his time there has been somewhere between awful and passable, at least the door is knocked down.
Could O’Neal do big things as an owner? We all thought MJ could, and he turned out to be pretty average. Diesel always knew the game – he forever preached about playing the right way, even if his main reasoning was probably to get himself more touches and Kobe less – and he knows how to work the media, create excitement and draw viewers. Basketball-wise, he might have a lot to learn. But he would probably have no problem generating interest.
Would he be a better exec than Michael Jordan?
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October 18th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
beiber newz says:
Shaq seems too much like a goof ball (a good one though) to be taken as serious as an owner. That doesn’t mean he can’t become one nor a successful one.
October 18th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
ERIC says:
Shaq will be absolutely terrible on TNT. He is hilarious for one-line quips but his appearances on any extended talk shows or a guest host has only been entertaining for making fun of people. His rare guest spots on TNT have been sub-par.. Chris Webber got screwed, not as good of a player as Shaq (duh) but he is a much better NBA Analyst.
October 18th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
zbo says:
Bring it to seattle or Vancouver.
we need a fricken basketball team.
October 18th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
First & Foremost says:
Hmmm… Him and Magic should team up and purchase a team. I think the novelty of having Shaq as an owner would wear off and the league would be stuck with an owner who isn’t really there full-time. He’d eventually lose interest in his team for other ventures in his quest to be the most interesting man in the world. Imagine if his first ever pick was a 7’2 270lb center that was a bust. He’d just make fun of him and tell him how good he isn’t and that if he was still playing he’d punish him with elbows and breakdancing.
October 18th, 2011 at 10:21 pm
cesar says:
auhuhauhauhauh breakdancing
October 19th, 2011 at 9:42 am
First & Foremost says:
To answer the question, yes, Shaq would have more success as an exec. than MJ would. ONLY if Shaq gets the right team. If it is an expansion team, forget it. 4 of 14 draft picks of the Bobcats have been local products. They needed to bring in players that the area would continue to cheer for as pros. MJ’s next move should be a 3-way trade that lands him both Reddick and Hansborough. If Shaq has a team in an area that isn’t overly tied to NCAA, then I think he’ll have better success.