76ers Arena Rumors Sparks Interest From LA Lakers Legend

Former LA Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal is keeping his eyes on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Feb 17, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung (0) shakes hands with former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal during the slam dunk competition during NBA All Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers’ arena saga continues as the 2024-2025 NBA season approaches. With the plans for 76 Place downtown still facing plenty of backlash, PA’s neighboring state, New Jersey, is reportedly making a push to convince the Sixers to build their home over the bridge.

If the Sixers are serious about that move, then consider former Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal intrigued.

“I may have to make that phone call and see if that’s true,” Shaq told VIBE. “I would love to have the opportunity to talk to the powers that be, but rumor is that there’s two more teams [possibly] coming. Maybe Vegas… maybe Seattle. I’d really like to be involved with that Vegas team because I live in Vegas. But any good opportunity, I would like to have the ability to just have conversations with people and possibly be invited to the table.”

Clearly, the NBA legend is searching for an opportunity to be a part of an NBA ownership group. Since O’Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey, seeing an NBA franchise move back to his home state is a scenario he would like to be a part of.

The New Jersey move seems like a logical Plan B if the Sixers’ second Philadelphia proposal falls through. At the moment, they remain set on taking the team downtown once the lease is up at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly in 2031.

Fortunately for the Sixers, they recently received support from Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker in their efforts to build a new arena in the city. While that's a positive step for the Sixers, they haven't reached the finish line just yet, keeping a potential move to Jersey somewhat in the picture.

Either way, it appears that Shaq is working his way to becoming a part owner. With the NBA reportedly eyeing an expansion sometime in the future, Vegas and Seattle have gained a ton of steam. If both cities are on the table, the former Lakers center is open to getting involved there as well.

While the Sixers’ arena saga remains a critical talking point for the team at this stage of the offseason, the team will keep its focus on the 2024-2025 NBA season, which begins next month.

After a busy offseason, which featured many major moves through free agency, the Sixers are looking to enter title territory for the first time in decades. They hope to see a major boost from the recently-acquired nine-time All-Star, Paul George.