So in case you were wondering… yes. The sales of the Los Angeles Lakers for a cool $10 billion does indeed mark the biggest money transaction in the history of sports teams being bought and sold. It was only a few months ago that the Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion. Previously, the Washington Commanders sold for $6.05 billion, and the LA Dodgers for $2 billion.
So with that in mind, when news broke that the Los Angeles Lakers had been sold for a jaw-dropping $10 billion, plenty of sports and financial commentators were shocked. Still, maybe the biggest reaction came from none other than our man Shaq. But not simply in surprise over the price tag.
No, the Big Diesel was a little salty… because he didn’t see a dime of it.
The team’s longtime majority owners, the Buss family, officially handed over the reins to Mark Walter, owner of the LA Dodgers, in what is now one of the largest franchise sales in sports history. Jeanie Buss, who took control of the Lakers in 2013 following the passing of her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, will remain in place as team governor — but for the first time in over four decades, someone not named “Buss” will own the Lakers.
For Shaq, it was a bittersweet moment. On a recent episode of The Big Podcast, joined by comedian Bill Bellamy, Shaq cracked jokes about being left out of the record-setting payday.
“The Lakers got sold for $10 billion… and I didn’t get nothin’, dog,” Shaq said, only half-joking.
Bellamy shot back with a grin: “They gave you a ‘thank you for your service,’ Shaquille.”
Shaq laughed, but he wasn’t quite done. “It was Magic, me, and Kobe that built that valuation up. Can I get a check for like $50 million? Just a little something?”
Of course, Shaq was never a stakeholder in the Lakers, so he’s not entitled to any slice of the sale. Magic Johnson, on the other hand, was a partial owner at one point — though he sold his stake back in 2010.
But don’t worry about Shaq. With a net worth north of $500 million, he’s not exactly hurting for cash. And he might be headed for a different kind of ownership gig soon — in a city that’s become his second home: Las Vegas.
While Shaq didn’t get a check from the Lakers sale, he’s looking ahead. The NBA is expected to expand with two new franchises in the coming years — one likely in Seattle, and the other in Las Vegas. Shaq has made it clear which one he wants in on.
“I want to be heavily involved. And if it’s here [in Vegas], I’m in,” he said in a recent interview with News 3 Las Vegas.
And it’s not just Shaq. Other high-profile figures like LeBron James have publicly expressed interest in a Vegas-based team. The city already boasts three pro sports teams — the Aces (WNBA), the Golden Knights (NHL), and the Raiders (NFL) — and MLB’s Athletics are building a stadium there now. The city also hosts the NBA’s in-season tournament finals.
If the league does greenlight a Vegas expansion, Shaq seems ready to invest — both financially and emotionally. After all, he’s lived in Vegas for years and has already committed to major philanthropic projects in the area, including his new youth sports complex being built in northeast Las Vegas.
He might not have gotten his “thank-you check” from the Lakers, but something tells us Shaq’s name is going to be back on an NBA team soon — only this time, it’ll be in the owner’s suite.