Shaquille O'Neal Reportedly May Play in Mexican Basketball League

Shaquille O'Neal has been retired from the NBA since 2011, but that doesn't mean Shaq is done lacing up his sneakers for good.

According to ESPN Deportes (via ProBasketballTalk), the 15-time NBA All-Star may be making an appearance south of the border this season. Fuerza Regia president Sergio Ganem confirmed that his Mexican Basketball League squad may feature Shaq's 7'1'' frame in its lineup for the upcoming season.

Via PBT: "Shaq would play one or two games in October. The two sides have had conversations but the report says no deal is in place."

Even though nothing is imminent, this has to make you chuckle. O'Neal was last seen as an analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA, and he hasn't been in an NBA uniform since limping his way through the 2011 season in Boston.

A comeback is the last thing you might expect from the 40-year-old behemoth, but it shouldn't surprise you.

Fuerza Regia have done things like this before. Dennis Rodman appeared with the team in 2004, and a 7’9” Chinese player named Sun Ming Ming has also graced their court.

It's not a prominent league. Putting fans in the stands can't be easy, and extreme measures must be taken at times. Shaq, if healthy, can get up and down the court for a few contests, and he will draw a multitude of curious basketball followers.

Shaq loves attention, and he will get plenty of it in Mexico. He may be washed up in terms of physical ability, but that doesn't diminish his megastar status.

Comebacks like this are always looked at with an awkward gaze, and we don't know if anything will come of it, but it's something to keep an eye on.

If Roger Clemens can play independent baseball at age 50, Shaq can trot from foul line to foul line for a few appearances.