Before he ever saw his own face on a trading card, a young Shaquille O’Neal ripped open a pack of Bazooka Joe and found two baseball legends staring back at him: Reggie Jackson and Pete Rose. It sparked a lifelong fascination with sports cards, one that drifted in and out of focus over the years. But now, that passion is back in a big way—and Shaq is going all in.
O’Neal has partnered with Virginia collector Tim Banazek to bring the world what might be the largest private sports card collection ever assembled. With an estimated 20 million cards, the trove includes everything from 1890s classics to modern-day icons like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Tom Brady.
“This collection really got me back into it,” Shaq told Sports Illustrated, clearly energized by what’s ahead.
Banazek, a former sales executive and father of three, stumbled into sports card fame in 2021 when he purchased the collection from the father of a Facebook friend he met through his daughter’s soccer team. What he ended up with was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery—something so massive and wide-ranging it’s been dubbed The Big League Find.
Inside this collector’s dream?
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Over 20,000 Michael Jordan cards
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5,000 Tom Brady cards
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5,000 LeBron James cards
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Multiple rookie cards from baseball greats like Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron, and Ernie Banks
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Cards dating back to the 1890s
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Even cards featuring Hollywood legends
What started as a casual pandemic hobby quickly turned into something much bigger for Banazek. “I was battling what I’d almost call a midlife crisis,” he said. “But I realized—this is my next joy.” Posting his card finds online led to attention from collectors and fans alike, and eventually from Michael Parris, Shaq’s longtime business partner.
“Mike lives nearby and heard about the story,” Shaq explained. “We reached out to Tim to see how we could work together—and he had the same vision we did.”
Now, the group is exploring ways to share this incredible archive with the world. Whether through exhibitions, digital showcases, or even charitable auctions, their goal is to reconnect people with the magic of sports cards in an age when stats and highlights are a tap away on your phone.
For Shaq, it’s about the tangible connection.
“Holding something, something that’s yours—that’s the value right there,” he said. “Even now, you come across certain cards you’ve never seen and it’s like—‘Oh, this is interesting.’ I should’ve kept all the cards I had growing up.”