Shaquille O’Neal Might Regret Ditching $4 Billion Offer As Stephen Curry Could Become a Major Threat To Lifelong Dream

Former NBA players venturing into team ownership or significant investment roles is a well-trodden path, and Stephen Curry is planning to take the same road. While Curry still has a lot left in the tank, it is never too early to think about life after retirement. Recently, the Golden State Warriors guard sent shockwaves across the internet after hinting at a potential career in politics post-basketball. And now, the Chef has his sights set on owning a team within the league once he is done playing for a team.

During an interview with David Savona of Cigar Aficionado, Curry said that his long-term goal is to own a team. “The North Star for me personally is team ownership within the league. That would be a dream come true. I’m definitely motivated and aspire to align the dots for when that’s ready when I’m done playing.” However, Curry’s dream could potentially threaten Shaquille O’Neal’s.

During a recent episode of The Big Podcast With Shaq, the 52-year-old mentioned that he had a conversation with the Atlanta Falcons about buying the team for $4 billion. However, he later backed out because he was more interested in upcoming NBA teams. “Yes, I actually had a conversation with the Falcons and I thought about it. But I know there’s this couple of new NBA teams coming up…that would interest me more,” said the Big Diesel. With Stephen Curry in competition now, Shaq would probably regret letting go of the Atlanta Falcons.

In the not-so-distant past, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver laid out a roadmap for the league’s future: first, securing a new collective bargaining agreement with the NBPA, followed by sealing the next wave of media-rights agreements, and finally, entertaining the possibility of expansion. With the new CBA in effect and the media rights deal on track for completion by the fall of 2025, the expansion does not seem that far.

Cities that could have an NBA expansion team

So far, Seattle and Las Vegas are believed to be the front-runners to land new NBA teams, since their strong market could help in the league’s pursuit of drawing more eyeballs to the NBA. Despite not having its own team, Las Vegas has grown into an NBA outpost, with the league holding the NBA Summer League there every July, along with Team USA events, and the G League Showcase every year. In fact, the inaugural in-season tournament semifinals and championship game were held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As for Seattle, it has the largest media market in the country without an NBA team after the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in the 2008–09 season.

Silver has also mentioned that the league will be “looking seriously” at Mexico City following the success of Capitanes, its G League franchise in Mexico City. Last year, the team set an attendance record for its season opener with 16,178 fans at Arena CDMX. Montreal and Vancouver are also in the mix to have their own NBA teams. Which two cities would you like to see get their own NBA team? Let us know in the comments.

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