Shaq leaves Orlando again; mansion offered for $28M
Ex-Magic star and Hall of Famer moves to Atlanta
Pro basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has moved to Atlanta and listed his massive mansion near Orlando for sale at $28 million.
Privately situated on 3 acres overlooking Lake Butler, the home at 9927 Giffin Court sits behind the gates of Isleworth, a prestigious private golf club community. The mansion has 31,000 square feet of living space and, of course, a 6,000-square-foot indoor basketball court.
Danial Natoli of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty office in Dr. Phillips is exclusively marketing the O’Neal property.
“This one-of-a-kind estate was designed for one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA,’’ Natoli said. “Every exquisite detail has been curated to deliver the ultimate luxury living experience.’’
Orlando residents have been accustomed to Shaq sightings at stores and restaurants for years. The 7-foot, 1-inch basketball Hall of Famer continued to live in Orlando for years even after he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996.
But he’s had a rocky relationship
with Central Floridians, too, after he referred to Orlando as a “dried up little pond.” Later, he expressed regret for ever leaving the Orlando Magic.
O’Neal, now a basketball analyst for the TNT television network, could not be reached for comment.
Features of Shaq’s home include a 1,170-square-foot, two-story great room with marble fireplace and walls of glass; formal dining room with seating for 16; handcrafted wood paneling and moldings; a chef’s kitchen with custom wood cabinetry and six-foot granite-top cooking island; and a coral stone fireplace accenting the kitchen nook and family room.
The listing says the home also has a soundproof home theater with long bar; a gallery hall designed for art collection; a “gentleman’s room” with game tables, wet bar, wine refrigerator, sink, ice maker and balcony; a temperature-controlled cedarplanked humidor and wine storage; and a saltwater triangular fish tank.
The guest wing has five bedrooms, and there is a 17-car showroom garage and fitness room, a 2,100-square-foot secondary garage with a dance and recording studio.
Upstairs there’s a masterbedroom area with 900 square foot sleeping area and balcony, a four-room closet, his-and-her master baths with jetted showers and vanity sinks, and four more bedrooms.
Outdoor amenities in the "Shaq-apulco" area include a 95-foot-long, 15-feet-deep pool with custom rock waterfall, large sunken hot tub, a summer kitchen, a “tikistyle” open cabana overlooking the beach side of the lake and a covered boat dock with sitting area and electric boat lift.
O’Neal paid $3.95 million for the property in 1993 when the house was a 23,000-square-foot Neo-Colonial. Shaq’s estate is one of several gigantic homes along Central Florida waterways that have drawn enough wealthy home buyers to outrank all but seven U.S. cities in recent surveys.
In 2016, financial technology firm Smart Asset ranked the Orlando area at No. 8 for owner-occupied houses with at least five bedrooms and 15 rooms.
"Mansions line many of the inland lakes surrounding Orlando," said SmartAsset's report. "The town of Windermere, for example, is practically busting with mansions."
Among the other big names that have owned mansions in Central Florida are former chief executive officer of Walmart H. Lee Scott; former Orlando Magic star Vince Carter; soccer player Kaká; Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.; and golfing greats Annika Sorenstam and Nick Faldo.