The NBA season is over for another year (great finish, BTW…) and most players and broadcasters are off to their summer vacation spots around the world. However, summer is heating up for our man Shaq in a completely different way.
Shaquille O’Neal has made headlines for a lot of things—NBA championships, business moves, flashy cars—but it’s his heart for helping others that might be his most impressive legacy yet. The Hall of Famer took another massive step in that direction last Friday, breaking ground on a brand-new youth sports and support complex in northeast Las Vegas.
Located near Lamb and Lake Mead Boulevards, the area has long been considered a “service desert,” according to Andy Bischel, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada. But Shaq is on a mission to change that.
“If every big-time person just took care of where they lived at, the world would be a better place,” said O’Neal, who’s lived in Vegas for decades and considers it home.
The future complex is more than just fields and courts. It’s a community cornerstone in the making.
Backed by powerhouse partners, the facility will include:
- A football field donated by the Las Vegas Raiders
- A boxing and MMA gym courtesy of the UFC
- Youth and family support services run by the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada
- The first-ever alumni center for Communities In Schools, an initiative driven by legendary Las Vegas philanthropist Elaine Wynn
O’Neal paid tribute to Wynn during the groundbreaking ceremony, calling her “a visionary, a dreamer such as myself,” and someone he was proud to call a friend and mentor.
The Communities In Schools alumni center will help young people beyond graduation. “We know their barriers don’t just magically disappear,” said Tami Hance-Leher, CEO of Communities In Schools Nevada. “In this alumni center, we’re going to help them with job placement, staying in school, and financial literacy.”
The complex is expected to open in late 2026.
This is far from Shaq’s first time stepping up for kids and families. His Shaquille O’Neal Foundation supports underserved youth through initiatives like Shaq-a-Claus, where he delivers gifts to families in need, and Shaq-to-School, which provides backpacks and supplies to students each fall. The Foundation has also built or refurbished basketball courts and gyms across the country.
From education and mentorship to financial literacy and career training, Shaq’s approach goes well beyond a one-time gesture. It’s about long-term impact.
“I want to be remembered not just as a basketball player or entertainer,” Shaq once said, “but as someone who uplifted people and helped make their lives better.”
With this Las Vegas complex, he’s doing just that—creating a place where dreams can grow, right in his own backyard.