Shaq Interested in Buying Magic? O'Neal Sends Message in Jersey Retirement Speech

Shaquille O'Neal has expressed interest in owning the Orlando Magic, and he's reiterated that to the DeVos family.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 13, 2024

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Shaquille O'Neal is the first player to have his jersey retired by the Orlando Magic, but he may not be done with the franchise.

In his jersey retirement ceremony, O'Neal finished it off with a cryptic message to the owners of the Magic, the DeVos family.

"To the DeVos family: Whenever you want me to quit TNT and come back home, you give me a call," O'Neal said in his retirement ceremony. "I'll be here in an instant."

O'Neal went on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history and started his legacy in Orlando for the first four seasons of his career. O'Neal's heroics helped the Magic reach the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets.

Even after infamously leaving the franchise for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, O'Neal still has roots in Orlando and would be a welcomed addition to the franchise.

The DeVos family has owned the Magic since 1991, but has not shown interest in selling the franchise despite Amway co-founder and patriarch Richard DeVos passing away in 2018.

Shaq Reacts to Jersey Retirement

O'Neal has experience in franchise ownership in the NBA, being a minority owner for the Sacramento Kings since 2013 before selling his stake in January 2022.

O'Neal returning to Orlando to own the franchise would certainly excite the fanbase, but it's questionable as to whether it is actually a possibility.

Published Feb 13, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.