Shaquille O’Neal’s next chapter is taking him far from the NBA hardwood — and even farther from home. With whispers of Las Vegas expansion swirling and his dream of owning an NBA team still alive, the Big Aristotle has quietly made a surprising play overseas. At the same time, a new opportunity closer to family has pulled him back into college basketball. From Italy to California, O’Neal’s 2025 is shaping up to be one of his most ambitious years yet. But how? Well, here’s how the cards are playing out.

However, as the Big Aristotle continues to step foot into new ventures, Adam Silver faces mounting challenges with the NBA’s expansion plans. Just as the idea of the European league besides FIBA was being explored, they were met with sharp criticism from Euroleague officials. Traditions were being threatened as per them. Adding to this, concerns of fragmenting the sport, coupled with complex logistics like travel, scheduling, and cross-border regulations, have also posed as obstacles for him. But Shaquille’s latest move could just be the first move into wider horizons.

Over here, Big Aristotle has always expressed his deep connection with the city of Vegas. “I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet, but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself,” O’Neal had told The Messenger, clearing his stance on the matter. O’Neal is still determined to buy a stake in an NBA team. However, he has already played a different move before this!

As per the local outlet Il Mattino, a group led by Italian-American Matt Rizzetta has acquired a 66% stake in the Italian basketball club Napoli. After a tough 2024–25 season, in which Napoli narrowly avoided relegation from the LBA UnipolSai, the club is set to enter a new era under this ownership. Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal is reportedly part of the group. Founded in 2016 after the previous club folded in 2009, Napoli earned promotion to Italy’s top division in 2021, with its biggest success being a Coppa Italia win in 2024. O’Neal’s exact role remains unclear, though his presence at future games wouldn’t be surprising.

As for Silver’s struggles, the proposed format for the new European league would include 16 teams—12 permanent clubs and 4 qualifiers. The permanent clubs would be well-established teams with strong fan bases and consistent performance, ensuring a solid foundation for the league. The four qualifying spots would be filled by teams that could earn their place based on performance in regional leagues or through a qualification process, adding an element of competition and excitement.

The Euroleague, on the other hand, has mentioned that it might fragment the European game and even called it a threat. “The Board discussed the announced proposals for the creation of a new European league, viewing such a move as a threat to the long-standing traditions of European basketball,” was the Euroleague’s statement, setting the record straight! 

Meanwhile, O’Neal is all set for the new chapter. He has also taken up a new business role this year.

Shaquille O’Neal joined Sacramento State as GM 

Sacramento State is planning big. A month ago, the program welcomed Mike Bibby as the head coach. And following the former NBA player, the roster continued to add one star after another. Mikey Williams, Brandon Gardner, and more are now part of the roster. One of the players to have recently transferred is O’Neal’s son, Shaqir.

Before this, Shaqir was playing for Florida A&M. And the surprising detail is that the Los Angeles Lakers legend will also be joining the program, not as a coach or mentor, but as GM. O’Neal’s history in the NBA, as well as his knowledge of the business world, will play a big role for the team. And considering the 4x NBA champ’s other talents, such as DJing and more, the athletic director of the program has faith and high expectations.

But for someone who prefers to stay away from college basketball scenes where his kids are involved, it must have been tough to convince him. But it turns out it wasn’t. During the process, Bibby had asked if O’Neal would like to join the team in some capacity, and he agreed.

“There was no conversation in that we had really no intentions of that. We just sat there and … got a guy who worked out his son… we were talking to him and he’s like ‘hey what do you think about the kid coming to play school there.’ I said that’d be great, let’s get him,” Bibby told 247 Sports. That’s how he landed the new job. It seems that he has a lot to look forward to this year, and so do his fans.