“I would like to have my own group.” It has been a long-time desire of the Hall-of-Famer to own an NBA team. Although Shaquille O’Neal has got few stakes in the Sacramento Kings, he wants to step up as the primary owner of an NBA team. Well, the legend’s dream could take flight as there have been talks about NBA expansion and Shaq is on his toes.

“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,” said O’Neal earlier in an interview. However, he hasn’t been the only one in this ownership race; enter LeBron James and Jeff Bezos.

Jeff Bezos in the race for Boston Celtic’s ownership

According to a discussion in The Bill Simmons Podcast, the buzz about Jeff Bezos making an investment in the NBA is real. “And in the last few days, there’s been some, I think, legitimate buzz about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics. And I think it’s real. I think he’s going to be one of the suitors,” said Bill Simmons on his podcast. The NBA franchise that clinched the championship last season is estimated to be worth around $6 billion. With his substantial resources, Jeff Bezos would easily have the capital needed to make such a purchase.

Talking about the reason behind potential investment from Bezos, Simmons said, “…Jeff Bezos, when he’s looking at the Celtics, what is he seeing? What does he want? I think the only way it makes sense, I mean, granted, he has a gazillion dollars – but it’s one of the crown-jewel franchises, right?” 

Simmons opines that the league would be eager for Celtic’s sale as it will facilitate them in their mission of expanding the league with new teams. With the Amazon founder’s over $200 billion net worth and a reportedly failed attempt at securing the NFL team, Washington Commanders, it is likely for Bezos to enter the race here and for the owners to not turn him down.

The defending NBA champions are currently owned by the Grousbeck family, but the owners recently announced their intention to sell the team. “The expectation is to sell the time in two parts with 51 percent going fairly soon, 49 percent then closing in second closing. That’s the expectation in 2028,” Grousbeck told CNBC last month.

Earlier there was another group that also considered making a bid for the Boston Celtics, but after Bezos’ entering the scene, they might shift their focus; a possible hindrance in Shaq’s owner ship deal.

Why Jeff Bezos’ entry might become obstacle in Shaquille O’Neal’s dream?

When the Grousbeck announced about Celtic’s sale, it was reported that Fenway Sports Group was also interested in bidding for the Boston Celtics. If they had gone through with the purchase, LeBron James would have ended up as a part-owner of the Celtics, thanks to his ownership stakes in Fenway Sports Group. Well, now there is a very little possibility of that because there is already someone in the race who can pay a big amount to Celtic owners.

This might turn LeBron James’ head to his earlier target. “It’s wonderful. It’s the best fanbase in the world and I would love to bring a team here (Las Vegas) at some point. That’ll be amazing,” said the Los Angeles Lakers star back in 2022. After withdrawing from Celtic’s race, James might once again prefer going for the Aces, a target which is also chased by the Hall-of-Famer.

While Las Vegas has long been seen as the top contender for landing an NBA franchise, securing a team in Vegas isn’t going to be easy as there were reports indicating that the sale could turn out to be the most expensive and fiercely contested sports acquisition in U.S. history. Nevertheless, James and O’Neal both have been active business investors. And it would be interesting to see which way the Aces ownership will fall.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show.” Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.