Shaq aka The Big Mercenary | DAILY SPORTS SELECT

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

Having moved from Orlando to Los Angeles to Miami to Phoenix - to now possibly Cleveland - throughout his career, Shaquille O'Neal has demonstrated that he's willing to sell his championship-caliber services to the highest bidder, thus earning the nickname "The Big Mercenary".

This piece isn't meant to be a judgement on the way Shaq has handled his career, but a question of "Are the Houston Rockets trying to get Shaq?"

You live life once. And once only. For that reason Cleveland are talking about a possible trade to acquire Shaq. Shaq may no longer be the unstoppable force that he once was at age 37, but he's still good enough to be the cog that sends a contender over the top.

Due to his MMA training (I believe), Shaq's in the best shape that he's been in a while, free of injuries to body and mind. He's even calling out 7-2, 330 lb Korean giant-fighter Hong-Man Choi for crying out loud!

Watching the Houston Rockets finally get out of the first round and take the Lakers to seven games without the previously ageless Dikembe Mutombo, I thought to myself "What if Houston got Shaq in the off-season?"

Bringing in Shaq to replace Deke isn't the be-all, end-all solution to Houston's championship quest, but it's one of the three main components to what I see could put Houston over the top - buying insurance for Yao Ming. (I go over the other two here).

I won't get into the details on why Houston could use Shaq because even the specifics are obvious, but the key would be whether Shaq's pride would allow him to back up a center that he was once superior to.

If everything else works out an acquisition comes down to Shaq's ego, Houston would have to make Shaq the star attraction of their championship-quest season, marketing-wise.

Management would have to convince him that the club is only a Shaq away from the heights of title stratosphere - and that The Big Mercenary would be able to revel in the adulation that fans bestow upon him for bringing a championship to their city. Coach Rick Adelman would have add some more funk and spunk to Houston's system, which he's certainly capable of doing.

There will certainly be accomodations that will have to be made, but I say, Why not? The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have won championships by going balls out and the Cleveland Cavaliers look as if they're at least trying.

Why would Houston, which really isn't that far from becoming an elite contender, let a rival (when you're a contender even teams in the other conference are rivals) take someone who could put them over the top?