Shaq says he's 'ready' to buy Magic
Shaquille O'Neal started his NBA career with the Orlando Magic, and he now has his sights set on potential ownership of the team.
O'Neal made it known on the latest episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq" that he and former Magic teammate Dennis Scott are interested in purchasing the team if it's ever put up for sale.
"We still run that franchise, and if they wanna sell it to us, DeVos family, we're ready to go right now," O'Neal said.
Scott, who was a guest on the episode, called on O'Neal's "billionaire friends" to fund the purchase while letting him and O'Neal "run the show."
"Dennis, we got the money. You ain't got to worry about the money," O'Neal responded. "But this message goes out to the DeVos family: If you're ready to sell the Orlando Magic, sell it to somebody that's gonna take it to the next level. That's us."
The Magic are owned by RDV Sports, a corporation set up by the late Richard DeVos when he purchased the team for $85 million in 1991. Devos's son, Dan, is the current chairman of RDV Sports.
Forbes estimated the Magic's net worth at $1.64 billion entering the 2021-22 season, making them the NBA's 24th-most valuable franchise.