Shaquille O’Neal lists Orlando mansion for $28 million

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has listed his lakefront Orlando mansion for $28 million now that he is spending more time in Atlanta and Los Angeles as a commentator for “NBA on TNT.”

O’Neal began his NBA career with the Orlando Magic in 1992 after an NCAA career at Louisiana State. O’Neal played for six teams during his 19-year career. That included a stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won three NBA championships, in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He won his fourth championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat. O’Neal finished his career with short tenures with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring from the sport after the 2010-11 season. During his career, O’Neal was named rookie of the year, league MVP and was the NBA Finals MVP three times. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

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The 31,000-square-foot house sits on a three-acre lot within the gated golf and country club community of Isleworth, about 20 minutes outside downtown Orlando. The 12-bedroom, 15-bath home comes with 700 feet of lakefront access to Lake Butler. A 900-square-foot master bedroom with dual master baths has its own wing, and five of the remaining bedrooms have their own dedicated guest wing.

“It really is a one-of-a-kind place,” said listing agent Danial Natoli of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “Because of the kind of community that it’s in. You can’t replace this location. You can’t find it anywhere.”

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Cal Ripken Jr.’s property in Reistertown, Md., consists of more than 24 acres of land. The main house has more than 13,000 square feet of living space and an additional 8,000 square feet are devoted to the gym, locker rooms (with soaking tub) and adjacent living space. (By Bob Narod)

A garage with space for 17 cars is divided into two sections, with one part being encased in mirrors to create a showroom effect.

Other luxury features in the home include two custom fish tanks that were featured on the Animal Planet show “Tanked,” a soundproof theater, a climate-controlled humidor for cigar storage and a 10-foot privacy wall.

O’Neal’s “Superman” nickname is reflected throughout the property with the Superman logo on the shower door in the master bath and the lights in the home theater. A statue of the superhero stands at the end of the private pier overlooking the lake.

O’Neal bought the home for $3.95 million in 1993 and made significant renovations to the property, including the addition of a 6,000-square-foot basketball court. Should the home sell for full price, it would be the highest priced sale on record for Orlando.

Lou Nimkoff, president of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, says there are a limited number of buyers interested in purchasing high-priced properties with such unique features. “The creative buyer looks at it and says, ‘I’m going to need to do this, this and this,’ and they just figure that into the cost.”

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Robert Griffin III’s 6,000-square-foot home in Leesburg, Va., has four bedrooms and six bathrooms. It sits on a three-acre fenced lot inside the Creighton Farms community. Creighton Farms comes with a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf course, pools, tennis courts and a fitness center. (Courtesy of Century 21)

Nimkoff adds that the celebrity factor doesn’t necessarily help in cases where someone needs to borrow from a lender. “If you’re financing it, the problem is an appraiser probably won’t give any value to that star appeal of who the prior owner is.”

Natoli says the price per square foot is in line with other competing properties, and, overall, the local luxury market is performing well. “I do feel strongly [about] the city of Orlando with regards to higher priced homes.”