No matter how great an athlete you are -- Michael Jordan, Willie Mays or Jerry Rice -- Father Time is going to catch up with you.

The word has been that Father Time has been whispering in the ear of Miami Heat's Shaquille O'Neal. But after a couple months of playing as if "The Diesel" was low on fuel, he is back motoring his 7-foot-1, 300-pound plus frame down the hardwood again. And if Father Time has any heart, he'll take his time and allow us to enjoy just a little longer one of the greatest sports personalities of all time.

"The demise of Shaquille O'Neal has been greatly exaggerated," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "I can guarantee you that. And I coach him."

I remember how Julius "Dr. J" Erving became more of a jump shooter than a dunker at the end of his career. I've heard stories about Mays in his last days. But the first time I really noticed the toll that time takes on a sports icon is while I was covering the Anaheim Angels in 1997. Eddie Murray, who would be make the Hall of Fame in 2003, was an eight-time All Star and a three-time Gold-Glove first baseman. He is also one of only three players to have totaled both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, joining Mays and Hank Aaron. But by the time he arrived in Anaheim, Murray was 41 years old and trying to hang on. His once speedy wrists had become so slow that he broke numerous bats. And his stellar career died a slow death that season.

And the worst of all sports deaths, was Michael Jordan's. I will never forget images of Jordan dunking from the free-throw line or his trademark game-winning jumper over the Utah Jazz. But I also remember a 40-year-old Jordan laying on the MCI Center floor after Denver's undersized shooting guard Voshon Lenard, not known for his athleticism, blocked his shot and then stood over him during the 2002-03 season. It was sad. I wanted Air Jordan to hold a press conference on the court and retire right then.

Unlike Murray and Jordan, O'Neal is still in his early 30s. He will turn 34 March 6. Also unlike Jordan and Murray, O'Neal is a mammothof a man, the size of both of those guys put together. There have been reports this season and during recent seasons that O'Neal isn't in the optimal shape. And when the Los Angeles Lakers traded O'Neal to Miami on July 14, 2004, part of the reason, later revealed by owner Jerry Buss, was that he believed the beloved ex-Laker was on the downslide.

O'Neal sprained his right ankle in just the second game of this season after stepping on Ron Artest's foot in a game against Indiana on Nov. 3. The 13-time NBA all-star missed the next 18 games over five weeks. He returned to action Dec. 11 game against Washington: The layoff was the longest for O'Neal since missing 20 games with the Lakers because of an abdominal strain early in the 1997-98 season.

While Shaq was back, his game didn't initially follow. His legs didn't seem to be willing to push him for those powerful swinging dunks imortalized in his shoe logos. With five years and $100 million left on his contract, he was on pace to average under 20 points and 10 rebounds for the first time in his career. He had two dunk attempts blocked by usually laughable rival Greg Ostertag at Utah on Jan. 14. And the whispers began to grow louder.

But in late January, Superman seemed to have found his cape again. O'Neal scored 27 points in just 28 minutes to lead the Heat to a 119-99 victory over Sacramento Jan. 22. On Feb. 2 against Cleveland, Heat forward Dwyane Wade threw a long alley-oop to O'Neal which he threw down vintage style in one of the best plays of the NBA season so far.

And in an instant, all seemed right in the universe once again.

"You (the media) might have made him (O'Neal) mad," Wade said. "I think you all lit a fire under him."

That fire has to stay lit the rest of the way if the Heat plan on doing anything special this season.

"We're gelling right now," O'Neal said. "We have to develop some type of consistency and just keep it going. This is our first year together. We're just learning each other. The more games we play, the more tough games we play, the closer we'll become.

"Coach Riley did a good job of putting together a good solid team. It's our job to go out there and make everybody look good."

O'Neal has played in 171 playoff games during his NBA career that began in 1992. He and the Heat believe that by the time they get to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, they will be ready. The key to lessening the wear and tear on O'Neal is veteran backup center Alonzo Mourning and quickly getting rid of their opponents the first two rounds.

O'Neal isn't the O'Neal of old, rather he's just an older version of the same Shaq. But with Father Time seemingly finding other things to do than bother O'Neal for the time being, this season could be his last real attempt to add a fourth NBA title ring to his collection. Time is of the essence. Just ask Jordan, Mays and Rice how surprised they were when they finally got tapped on the shoulder.