The Newark Nets, Starring Shaq

That headline's a lark in the real world, but one of those cooked-up future realities in the mind of Jersey native Shaquille O'Neal.

Steve Politi of the Newark Star-Ledger has a perplexed Shaq talking about the absurdity of the Nets playing in an N.J. city not named Newark.

Given the barricades blocking the Atlantic Yards project that would send the Nets to Brooklyn, Shaq's talk (after the jump) about making the Newark Nets a real deal don't sound too far-fetched.

Newark has a new arena -- the Prudential Center -- where the New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall Pirates play. Shaq asserts to Politi that the Nets should be playing there, too.

"I have no idea why the Nets aren't playing there," Shaq said. "It makes no sense. I know they're trying to get to Brooklyn, but if I was the general manager or the owner of that team, I'd be playing in Newark right now."

IZOD Center in East Rutherford is a pit, attendance has always been awful and Nets owner Bruce Ratner reportedly loses a mint on the gym every year. But Brooklyn has been the prize, and no detour south was thought to be needed. When do the delays slowing Atlantic Yards make Newark worthwhile to Ratner?

Earlier this month, sources told the New York Daily News that the Brooklyn arena project is almost dead. I have no special insight in Ratner's mind, but would he want to continue to own a franchise "stuck" in Jersey? (No offense meant toward N.J.; clearly, a Brooklyn NBA franchise is more valuable to its owner than one playing in Jersey.)

Shaq has that base covered too, telling Politi he'd be open to an ownership role with a prospective Newark NBA franchise, Nets or otherwise. Of course, we've heard this all before. Like two months ago, when Shaq said he and Grant Hill plan on buying the not-for-sale Orlando Magic. Or another team.