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Shaquille O’Neal hints that he wants to own a ‘certain team in Florida’ but insists its ‘not Miami’ as the ex-Orlando Magic draft pick eyes his old team
- Orlando has been owned by the DeVos family since they bought the team in 1991
- O’Neal has a net worth of around $400m, much less than Orlando’s $1bn value
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Shaquille O’Neal seems to be interested in purchasing the first NBA team he ever played for across his Hall-of-Fame career.
Over previous months, the four-time NBA champion has indicated that he would like to be the main owner of a franchise.
Back in October, he hinted at the idea of returning ‘home’ when appearing on CNN.
‘It’d probably be disrespectful to say it, but I would like to go back home,’ O’Neal told CNN. ‘I’ll leave that to the viewers to figure out [what it means]. I would like to go back home.’
Further clarification on that came via the ‘3 Points with Chris Mannix‘ podcast back on Friday.
Shaquille O’Neal has expressed interest in purchasing the Orlando Magic – his first team
O’Neal was drafted by the Magic first overall in 1992 – helping them reach their first NBA finals
The Magic are owned by the DeVos family after patriarch Richard (above) died in 2018
‘I’m still looking to be an owner, and I’m interested in a certain team in Florida,’ Shaq said before adding, ‘It’s not Miami.’
That clarification is necessary – as O’Neal has history with both of Florida’s NBA franchises. In 2004, after a successful tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq moved to Miami and won a title with the Heat in 2006.
But before he was on the Lakers, he was the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft – going to the Orlando Magic.
There, he won Rookie of the Year and took Orlando to its first ever NBA Finals appearance in 1995 – where they were swept by the Houston Rockets.
O’Neal then went off to the Lakers in free agency in the summer of 1996 and built an impressive career from that moment on.
According to CelebrityNetWorth, O’Neal has an estimated net worth of around $400million – far lower than the Magic’s current Forbes valuation of $1.85billion.
The team is currently owned by the DeVos family, which has not indicated that they would like to sell the franchise despite the 2018 passing of patriarch Richard DeVos – who bought the team in 1991.
Shaq is no stranger to NBA team ownership. He previously held a minority stake in the Sacramento Kings, which he sold in January.
