Nick Van Exel’s Former Houston Mansion Lists For $12 Million
Retired NBA star Nick Van Exel’s former Houston mansion, within the Royal Oaks Country Club, has returned to the market for $12 million, just months after Holton Buggs sold it at auction for $9 million.
Van Exel, who played 13 seasons in the NBA and was the assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, bought the property in the early 2000s. The 20,932-square-foot residence later gained national attention through an appearance on MTV Cribs.
Completed in 2002, the four-level steel-framed home was designed by architect Paul Olson with interiors by Steven G. and Marc-Michaels.
Property Highlights
Price: $12 Million
Location: Houston, Texas
Size: 20,932 square feet
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 12
Notable Features: Bowling alley, 13-seat movie theater, 3,000-gallon aquarium, 2,824-square-foot primary closet, dual kitchens, barbershop, sauna, spa room, infinity-edge pool, swim-up bar, two elevators, golf course and lake views
Inside Van Exel’s Former Mansion
This Houston home is packed with custom details, including 72 walnut doors, more than 700 recessed lights, and what was reportedly the largest single-family front door in the country when the estate was built.
The primary suite includes one of the home’s biggest custom spaces, the approximately 2,824-square-foot single-level closet believed to be among the largest of its kind in Texas.
Aside from the records the home holds, the property was designed to accomodate large-scale recreation and entertaining.
To accomplish that, the home includes a commercial-grade Brunswick bowling alley, a 13-seat private theater with roughly $500,000 in California Audio Technology speakers, and dual kitchens.
Additional interior amenities include a 3,000-gallon aquarium, a barbershop, sauna, and spa room, while outside, an infinity-edge pool and swim-up bar overlook the water and fairways surrounding the home.
A Closer Look at Royal Oaks Country Club
This home sits behind multiple secured gates within the Royal Oaks Country Club, one of Houston’s premier private residential and golf communities. You can learn more about the community in the YouTube video from Move to Houston.
Positioned along a lake within the development, Ven Exel’s former property looks across the water toward the ninth green of the Fred Couples Signature golf course.
Where is Van Exel Now?
While Van Exel no longer resides in the mansion, he hasn’t left Houston altogether. The former NBA star still owns a home in the city and splits his time between Texas and Georgia since stepping away from coaching in 2023.
Since then, he has launched 100X Sports, an athlete representation agency, along with VanExel Hoops, a girls’ youth basketball organization.
Now, after changing hands at auction late last year, his former Royal Oaks estate is back on the market, offering its next owner a huge four-level residence with resort-style amenities and a long line of notable ownership.
