Shaquille O’Neal’s Unfulfilled Desire Lands Him in Las Vegas Aces’ Turf for a Noble Cause

What does Las Vegas have in common with Shaquille O’Neal? It’s entertaining, larger than life, and has basketball in the form of the Las Vegas Aces. Shaq has a big presence in the Vegas landscape already, from launching the Big Chicken Shaq here, to hosting his annual fundraiser, The Event, the newly opened Shaq’s Fantasy Lab, and more. Soon, there will be a youth center made by his patronage too. There’s only one more thing he wants to bring to the entertainment capital, and it’s its own NBA team. In the meantime, he reaches out to the Aces to make a fan’s day.

The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation shared the big man’s sweet gesture recently with the help of the Aces. In 2023, he and his famous friends hosted The Event in the city. It’s a fundraiser with a Shaq-tastic auction and some winners won a bid to play Horse with Shaq. No, Shaq doesn’t get on all fours and neigh. The shooting game – horse.

The Aces welcomed Shaq and the winners to their court at Michelob Ultra Arena in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. For that, O’Neal and his foundation were extremely grateful and expressed it on the nonprofit’s Instagram Stories.

“Big thanks to the @lvaces for letting us enjoy their stunning court today! Our auction winner from The Event had an unforgettable time playing a game of HORSE with @shaq,” the post read. It went with a picture of Shaq and The Event winners against that snazzy Aces wall.

No Aces were in the shot. Probably because they’re occupied. They hosted the Minnesota Lynx in the same arena tonight. Their record is at 17-10 after losing 87-98. They still have Shaq in their corner as their no.1 fan (even though his prodigy, Angel Reese, is in Chicago). And he wants to bring the Aces some company in the near future.

Shaq’s dreams for Las Vegas

Speculation of a possible NBA expansion team in Las Vegas is picking up trajectory. And several NBA veterans want in. LeBron James expressed interest and Rajon Rondo claimed he’d be willing to coach if Bron is the boss. But, there’s also the Mayor of Sin City, Shaquille O’Neal.

He was the first to express keenness to bring the first NBA team to Vegas. He expressly stated he doesn’t want to collaborate with Bron or anyone. Shaq wants to build his ownership group and do it solo. That could put two 4x champions in the most bidding war for any team in NBA history.

If Shaq’s connections to Las Vegas and its people win out will be seen if the league expands here. For now, the biggest thing on O’Neal’s to-do list for the city is a $16 million youth facility for the Boys and Girls Club by the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation.

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