Skip to content

Report: Shaquille O’Neal Bought A House In Collin County

Don't be surprised if you see the NBA great out and about
shutterstock_1399814285
Photo: lev radin | Shutterstock

Collin County's newest resident is Shaquille O’Neal. According to Realtor Zac Gideo of Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate, the basketball Hall of Famer bought a house in North Texas in May. At that time, Shaq was in Dallas to cover the Mavericks.

"It was a pleasure and an awesome opportunity to help you find your new home in Dallas," Gideo wrote on Instagram, posting a photo with the NBA icon. 

According to The Dallas Morning News, Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate said that O'Neal bought a house in Collin County. The firm didn't disclose which city in the county, but Gideo added hashtags for both Dallas and Frisco on his Instagram post. (A small section of Dallas, of course, is in Collin County.) Local Profile reached out to Gideo for clarification, but did not hear back before publication. 

Located on a 0.228-acre lot, O'Neal's new Collin County home has a main bedroom with a spa-like bathroom and a backyard with a pool and waterfall. 

“I found him the perfect home and most of the process was done virtually — FaceTime calls, videos of the property, etc.” Gideo is quoted as saying. One deciding factor for the basketball great, who will live in the house part time, was reportedly the Texas expansion of his fast food restaurant Big Chicken. The Dallas Observer reports that the Las Vegas-based chicken chain is expanding to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin.  

“It has a lot to do with that, and basic travel — he travels here quite a bit for different things,” said Gideo. For example, Shaq was in Dallas in February 2022 for a speaking engagement. 

WFAA adds that O'Neal sold his $11 million Orlando mansion in October 2021. 

O'Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey, but after his family moved to a military base in Germany, they settled in San Antonio, where he finished high school. He would later attend Louisiana State University (LSU) before joining the Orlando Magic as the 1992 NBA draft's 1st overall pick. Besides basketball, O'Neal made a name for himself in music, movies and now the restaurant industry. 

“Big Chicken is exactly the kind of brand that succeeds in Texas: pioneering and bold, yet rooted in delicious tradition,” said Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association in a press release this past April. "Our restaurant industry’s rich diversity is our greatest strength, and we’re absolutely thrilled that Shaquille O’Neal and the Big Chicken team are joining us.”

It's not only Shaq's restaurant that is joining us in Texas but also the big man himself.