Did Shaq's $10B Lakers Deal Joke Hint at Something Deeper?

During a recent episode of "The Big Podcast," Shaquille O’Neal lightheartedly expressed his belief that he deserves a share of the $10 billion transaction linked to the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers. In New York City on May 14, 2025, O'Neal attended Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2025 Upfront event. The Lakers, under the ownership of the Buss family, are being sold to Mark Walter, CEO of TWG Global. Walter, who already owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and has stakes in Chelsea FC and the Los Angeles Sparks, has been a minority owner of the Lakers since 2021, and Jeanie Buss will continue as team governor post-sale. Announced in June 2025, the deal is anticipated to be finalized by late 2025. While Shaq has never owned a stake in the team, he reminisced about the legacy of players like Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, jokingly asking for compensation, "Can I get a check for like 50 million?"

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