Shaq picks up pad in Rockwall County

The cottage industry known as Shaquille O’Neal appears to be a factor in the NBA Hall-of-Famer and cable talker adding another property that’s much more than a cottage to his North Texas portfolio.

O’Neal was spotted grabbing fast food and dropping in on a Walmart in Rockwall County last week, and the Chexy Trust he has used for past real estate acquisitions is behind a deal for a six-bedroom, six-bath place in Heath, about 20 miles from Dallas, the Dallas Morning News reported. 

Records indicate that Zac Gideo, who worked with O’Neal on the purchase of his home in Carrollton in 2022, was the buyer’s agent in this transaction.

Real estate agents involved in the sale wouldn’t confirm nor deny that O’Neal is the buyer, the outlet reported.

The four-time NBA champion’s entrepreneurial portfolio runs the gamut from pitchman-for-hire for everything from insurance companies and cruise lines to his eponymous O’Neals Big Chicken restaurant chain. Expansion of that chain was given as a reason for his purchase of the Carrollton house.

If signs pointing to O’Neal being behind the latest deal hold true, it got him a property that went to market with a $2.3 million price tag for a “harmonious blend of contemporary modern Mediterranean architecture.” Built in 2017, it includes a 500-square-foot guest house and a saltwater pool.

Having Shaq as a neighbor is the biggest news for Rockwall County since H-E-B’s plans to open a grocery store there next year. The county’s median income is about $124,000, according to the Census. It is the smallest county in Texas by area, and it was ranked the wealthiest in the state in 2022.

Heath sits on Lake Ray Hubbard, and like most DFW suburbs, it is growing. The town’s estimated population of 10,384 is 6.3 percent higher than in 2020.