Shaquille O’Neal casually remarked on “The Big Podcast” that he felt he deserved a piece of the $10 billion deal involving the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Owned by the Buss family, the Lakers are being sold to billionaire investor Mark Walter, CEO of TWG Global. Walter already owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and holds stakes in both Chelsea FC and the Los Angeles Sparks, according to ESPN.
Was He Joking?
The sale was announced in June 2025, but according to NPR, the deal is not expected to be finalized until the third or fourth quarter of the year.
Walter has been a minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers since 2021, and Jeanie Buss will remain as team governor and continue to oversee day-to-day operations after the sale closes.
The $10 billion purchase marked a historic sale in the NBA, which is why Shaq, a key player in the team’s franchise, jokingly insisted that a check of gratitude was in order.
On his podcast, “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” Shaq made his feelings known on July 2.
“You know, I’m a little upset, right?” Shaq said, “The Lakers got sold for $10 billion and I ain’t getting no Dually. I ain’t get no brand-new Escalade. I ain’t get nothing, dawg.”
When it comes to players’ equity, the closest to obtaining some form of payment is Magic Johnson who once owned a 4 percent stake in the Lakers before selling it back in 2010. Shaq has never held an ownership stake in the Lakers.
“It was Magic, me, then Kobe. Can I get something? I mean, can I get a check for like 50 million?” Shaq added.
Over the past five years, the Lakers have not been the only NBA team to change ownership, as several franchises have undergone big sales.
In 2023, Michael Jordan sold the Charlotte Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to CBS Sports.
That same year, the Phoenix Suns were acquired by Mat Ishbia and Justin Ishbia, while Mark Cuban sold a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and her family, though he retained a minority share, ESPN reported.
Additionally, the Minnesota Timberwolves began transitioning to new ownership led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore in 2021, a process that has continued through recent seasons, according to the Star Tribune.
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