Shaquille O’Neal has at last found a purchaser for his expansive Florida mansion, which boasts an indoor basketball court. The new owner paid an undisclosed sum for the property, which has been intermittently on the market since 2018 and has experienced several price reductions.
The retired NBA player, aged 49, initially listed the home in Florida’s Isleworth community for $28M in May 2018, according to a real estate source. Subsequently, he reduced the price to $22M in December 2018, and further down to $19.5M in September 2020.
After undergoing significant renovations and major upgrades, the property was re-listed for $16.5M on March 15, following a deal falling through in February. Benjamin Hillman of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, the new agent and brokerage, successfully concluded the current sale.
Sitting on over three acres within a gated community with almost 700 feet of lake frontage, this private estate offers an impressive 31,000 square feet of living space, 12 bedrooms, and a plethora of extravagant amenities.
Of particular note is the 6,000-square-foot indoor basketball court, dubbed “Shaq Center,” featuring the Miami Heat logo (the team he played for from 2004 to 2008) at center court.
The exterior features a 95-foot-long swimming pool with a waterfall and an outdoor bar designed for entertainment. The backyard extends to a long dock on the lake, culminating in a seating area.
Among its many other attractions, the property boasts a sound-proof home theater, a 1,400-square-foot cigar and wine bar room, an aquarium-style room with a fish tank, a game room, three fireplaces, and a showroom-style garage capable of holding at least 17 cars. Additionally, a guest house with five bedrooms is situated on the premises.
Hillman recounted the moment he received the extraordinary listing: “I was on floor duty when the call came in from an unfamiliar number. ‘This is Shaq, and I’m calling you to sell my home,’ he said. I responded, ‘It’s about time you called me,’” he remembers. “Shaq laughed and continued, ‘I’ve heard about you; they call you the closer, and that’s why I’m calling you.’”
The agent disclosed that four other agents had previously attempted to sell the property over the past several years. “I was fortunate to be the fifth. Shaq trusted me to find him a buyer, and I assured him I was the agent to do it,” he said.
The community where O’Neal’s home is situated is one of the most highly desired in Central Florida, boasting an 18-hole championship golf course, 89,000-square-foot clubhouse, a resort-style pool, tennis courts, and water sports.
The athlete recently sold another, more modest home: a five-bedroom residence in Bell Canyon, California, for $1.85 million. Originally listed for $2. in November 2019, the property underwent a price reduction.