“It means you’ve cheated”: When 4-time champ Shaquille O’Neal forgot key stat while trying to mock Steph Curry and 73-9 Warriors

Shaquille O’Neal has been one of the most colorful NBA analysts but is also known to be critical of active NBA players. With his vast resume of basketball accomplishments, his words echo through the newswires especially when he calls out great players and their teams.

Looking back, the four-time NBA champion was very vocal that the 73-9 Golden State Warriors should finish the job by capping off the season with a championship. However, Stephen Curry and the rest of his teammates fell short after LeBron James went god mode for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.

“If you go 72-11 and don’t win (the championship), it doesn’t mean anything," criticized Shaq. "Actually it does. It means you’ve cheated and played an extra regular-season game.”

Shaquille O’Neal was exaggerating the "72-11" number but pointed out that there's no point in the Golden State Warriors gunning for the best regular season record if they do not win the biggest prize: the NBA championship.

The merit of O'Neal criticizing the Warriors is somewhat valid, as the 7-foot-1 center was part of the 15-1 playoff run by the Los Angeles Lakers en route to his second championship ring. That Lakers team swept the NBA Western Conference in the 2001 playoffs, with their only loss coming against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

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Shaquille O’Neal feels his LA Lakers team would have beaten Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant

Arguably the best roster formed in NBA history, the 73-9 Golden State Warriors added Kevin Durant the following year in free agency. That team would win the next two NBA championships and has been in barbershop debates on the greatest team ever.

Fans love the talk on how dynasty teams would fare up against each other. Shaquille O’Neal broke it down why his three-peat Los Angeles Lakers would have beated KD and the Warriors.

"I'd say we can win that right because who will guard me and Kobe, right? Once when they get hot, send them to the hole, and I'm going to lay them out.

"Steph, Klay and KD, I'm going to touch them all the way up. Draymond will have to get 30 points or if they don't double me, I'm going to score 60 without the free throws," said Shaq.

Shaquille O'Neal and Stephen Curry are tied with four championships apiece.