NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is in talks to purchase a stake in Premier League outfit West Ham, according to a report.
The 52-year-old, who won four NBA titles during his illustrious career, reportedly became interested in becoming a shareholder at the club after watching one of their games last season.
O’Neal would become the latest former American sports star to invest in the English game, following the likes of ex-NFL heroes Tom Brady, JJ Watt and basketball icon LeBron James.
According to The Sun, the 7-foot-1 former centre – who now covers the sport as a broadcaster for TNT – loves football and has been discussing putting ‘serious cash’ into the Hammers.
They quote a source as saying: ‘He went to a game at the end of the season and loved it. It’s now a case of whether the financials stack up for him.’
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is reportedly in talks to purchase a stake in West Ham
West Ham finished the last campaign in ninth place, in what was an inconsistent season
The London club will be a much-changed outfit from the one that finished last season in ninth place, a year on from lifting the Europa Conference League.
West Ham opted not to extend the contract of David Moyes and instead hired former Real Madrid and Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui as they new manager in May.
The Spaniard turned down an approach from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich to move to the London Stadium.
O’Neal, a basketball Hall of Famer, racked up 41,918 minutes across 19 seasons in the NBA. He turned out for six teams, including the LA Lakers and Miami Heat – where he won his titles – as well as the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns.
In addition to the former American sports stars, British football has seen several celebrities from across the pond invest their money in teams up and down the football pyramid.
The Hammers opted not to extend the contract of David Moyes, who had led them to the Europa Conference League a year prior
Julen Lopetegui was announced as West Ham’s new manager on an initial two-year deal in May
The Hollywood duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney famously purchased Wrexham in 2020 and have helped guide the club into the third tier of English football and raised the global profile of the side exponentially.
Anchorman star Will Ferrell is another to get involved on these shores, with him having an involvement with Championship side Leeds United.
