A long-held dream of owning an NBA team or the app that generated $10 billion in revenue last year. Shaquille O’Neal has a choice to make. At first glance, it only seems natural that Shaq would go with the latter option but TikTok considering the vast difference in annual revenue generation. But it’s more complicated than it seems.

First of all, we’re not even sure if the former Los Angeles Lakers star is even interested in buying TikTok. The possibility only emerges because of a post that both Shaq and Ellis shared on their Instagram. “Eli Ellis and Shaq are buying TikTok,” the post stated. The possibility, however, seems very thin. Let’s have a closer look at why exactly.

Why is the chance of Shaquille O’Neal going for TikTok thin?

If you’ve been following the news, you know TikTok has been at the center of a storm lately. The US Supreme Court recently upheld a law signed by former President Joe Biden, pushing TikTok to sell its US operations to American owners or face a ban. Well, the Chinese app didn’t take it lightly.

Before the ban could take effect, the app temporarily went offline late Saturday night, only to resurface on Sunday. Why, you ask? Because President-elect Donald Trump announced he’d delay the ban with an executive order once back at the White House. Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Big names have started popping up as potential buyers.

From Flying Beast to Elon Musk, the interest in TikTok’s US operations has been buzzing. But let’s talk number. The reported price tag is a staggering $50 billion. That’s a number few can realistically consider. For instance, Eli Ellis, rumored to back Shaq in this venture, has an estimated net worth of less than $1 million.

Do the math—how could Ellis possibly help Shaq here? Even Kevin O’Leary, known for his savvy deals on Shark Tank, has made a $20 billion offer, yet nothing concrete has come from it.

And then there’s Shaquille O’Neal. While the idea of him jumping into the TikTok world sounds exciting, it seems unlikely. Especially considering the man has a long-held desire to own an NBA team in Vegas. A dream that’s going to cost reportedly around $7 billion. The finances involved in all these circumstances are enough to keep him away from a deal like TikTok ownership in the US.

Chances are that Shaq and Ellis were pranking their fans based on the fact that so far there has been a long list of individuals and companies like KickStreaming and Rumble Inc. have expressed their interest in acquiring and operating TikTok in the US. Yet another reason that Shaq would most likely not be interested in this deal is his potential partner from the future advising O’Leary against it.

Mark Cuban’s advice against the acquisition of TikTok in the US

When Mark Cuban sat down with Shaquille O’Neal on ‘The Big Podcast’, the conversation sparked dreams of ownership. Cuban floated the idea of teaming up with Shaq and LeBron James to buy the potential NBA team in Las Vegas. For Shaq, who once wanted full control of such a venture, this was a surprising turn. Yet, when Cuban asked if he’d consider partnering with LeBron, Shaq didn’t hesitate.

“I would because, you know, I’m the type of owner that I let people run it…” he said. That’s Big Diesel for you—someone who values the dream more than personal control. Now, considering that Cuban, Shaq, and LeBron share the same ambition, it’s hard to imagine Big Diesel ignoring Mark’s insights on another hot topic. The potential acquisition of TikTok’s US operations.

Cuban’s no-nonsense stance on the matter reveals why his business instincts are as sharp as they come. Recently, he weighed in on Kevin O’Leary’s plan to buy TikTok’s U.S. assets. And let’s just say he didn’t mince words. Taking to X, the Shark Tank star didn’t just express doubt—he outright warned O’Leary to think twice. Why? Because Cuban believes the deal is fraught with risks and lacks a clear strategy.

For context, O’Leary and former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt had proposed The People’s Bid for TikTok, a plan to acquire TikTok’s US operations from ByteDance. Their vision included rebuilding the app with American-designed tech and ensuring user privacy. Sounds ambitious, right? Cuban, however, wasn’t convinced.

He laid it all out in an X thread, predicting O’Leary’s pitch would revolve around convincing ByteDance to sell as a way to avoid TikTok’s potential ban in the US. But Mark sees roadblocks everywhere. First, he called out the shaky reliance on ad revenue, pointing out that the market isn’t what it used to be. Then, he questioned how the app could retain its users without its original algorithm, especially with competitors ready to swoop in.

And here’s the kicker—Mark Cuban doesn’t believe ByteDance would even sell TikTok in the first place. So, even if Shaquille O’Neal was serious with his Instagram post about potentially buying TikTok’s US version, the chances are slim he’d actually pursue it after hearing Cuban’s detailed reasoning.