Retired NBA star Jermaine O’Neal is suing DFW International Airport over what he says are unrealized aspirations for a retail and entertainment district where the basketball player built his Drive Nation youth sports complex.
In the lawsuit filed this week in Dallas County Court, O’Neal said he’s sunk $14 million into building the Drive Nation training academy — which has helped nurture young NBA stars such as Cade Cunningham and Tyrus Maxey — but the airport never followed through on promises to build a thriving development around it.
That’s left participants in the sports complex with few nearby options, even though the airport is benefiting from athletes and families flying in from around the world, lawyer Victor Vital said. Vital said damages amount to at least $10 million.
“They essentially sold them a bill of goods,” said Vital, an attorney with Barnes and Thornburg in Dallas. “The lawsuit was filed by Drive Nation because DFW Airport lured them into the lease with empty promises.”
DFW Airport spokesman Brian Brooks said the airport is aware of the lawsuit but declined further comment.
O’Neal spent 18 years in the NBA, drafted by the Portland Trailblazers and then blossoming into a basketball star with the Indiana Pacers. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA player before retiring in 2014. Even with no ties to North Texas, he settled in Southlake after his career ended and opened the Drive Nation basketball complex in 2017, a 91,000-square-foot training facility that has several basketball courts and hosts tournaments and training for youth teams.
O’Neal claims he hasn’t made anything back on his $14 million investment at Drive Nation, financed by the $168 million he made during his nearly two decades in the NBA.
The facility has thrived and expanded into hosting youth volleyball training as well as a charter school focused on student-athletes. Drive Nation’s youth basketball travel team, playing in the Nike Elite program, has hosted a handful of NBA players, including Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, Maxey with the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic guard RJ Hampton and a handful of high-profile college players.
In the lawsuit, O’Neal said he nearly located the Drive Nation complex in Keller to be the anchor of a development there, but was lured by DFW Airport commercial development chief John Terrell with the promise of being the center of a mixed-use development that would feature hotels, restaurants and retail and be located next to one of the world’s busiest airports.
Drive Nation signed a lease on the property to pay the airport $145,000 to $445,000 annually for 40 years on 16 acres, about half of which is undeveloped but can be used for sporting events.
A quote from Jermaine O’Neal is displayed on the wall at Drive Nation Sports in Dallas on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. (Elias Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News) (Elias Valverde II / Staff Photographer)
But six years after it opened, Drive Nation is surrounded by industrial warehouses, with fading hopes of creating a retail-friendly district.
“That promise could not have been further from the truth: today, Drive Nation’s multi-million dollar sports facility is on an island, surrounded by a sea of warehouses and a single Whataburger connected to a gas station,” the lawsuit said. “This is far from the mixed-use development that DFW pledged to entice Drive Nation to sign the lease.”
There is a Hyatt Place hotel nearby with a Starbucks and Whataburger attached to a gas station in the area, but none of that is located within the “Passport Park” development the airport pitched when Drive Nation was negotiating, the lawsuit said.
O’Neal also had a deal to sell Drive Nation, but that fell apart when DFW wouldn’t extend the terms of the lease by 15 years, according to the suit.
“The emphasis is not so much on Drive Nation as on the intended beneficiaries of the sports complex, which are the young athletes and their families,” Vital said. “The tournaments at the Drive Nation complex are important events in the lives of these young athletes and their families and they should be able to go out to eat and celebrate nearby when they are here.”
Ex-NBA star Jermaine O’Neal says DFW Airport failed to develop around youth sports complex
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ Fan Theories Suggest Legendary Time Travel, Alternate Dimension Plot
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on Inside the Michael Jordan ‘Air’ movie, plus why NFL, others are buying into the sports film industry
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer