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Shaquille O'Neal was the main man for the 2001 LA Lakers that almost swept the postseason. That Lakers team is widely considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history. O'Neal believes they would have gone undefeated if it wasn't for Allen Iverson.
In an interview with Complex, O'Neal weighed in on the debate about the greatest teams of all time. The four-time champion said he thinks it's a fun topic to deliberate, but insisted he would never say the 2001 Lakers are the best team ever. However, he did acknowledge Iverson for exploding in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals.
"If we wouldn't have lost that first game to Iverson," O'Neal said. "And would have went 16-0, then I would arrogantly say that we are the best team. I'm just happy to be in the debate. It's fun sometimes going to the barbershop and hearing, who is the greatest player."
The 2001 Lakers swept the Western Conference starting with the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. They followed that up with 4-0 wins against the Sarcamento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs. Allen Iverson dropped 48 points in Game 1 of the Finals as the Philadelphia 76ers ended the Lakers' streak with a 107-101 overtime win.
However, normal service soon resumed for Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers as they won the next four games to finish 15-1 in the postseason. The first round was a best-of-five affair at the time, so the team needed only 15 wins to clinch the title. It marked O'Neal's second championship and second Finals MVP.
Other teams in the conversation for the greatest of all time are the 1996 Chicago Bulls, the 2017 Golden State Warriors and the 1987 Lakers. The 1986 Boston Celtics and the 2012 Miami Heat are also often brought up.
Shaquille O'Neal praises Steph Curry, puts him in top 10 of all time
Before Steph Curry won his fourth championship and first Finals MVP trophy, Shaquille O'Neal already had him in his top 10 players of all time. On ESPN's "First Take," O'Neal said that Curry is the greatest shooter of all time and one of the best players overall.
"When it comes to the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry is in there by himself," O'Neal said. "So does that make him top 10? In my opinion, it does. I love the way he plays the game; he plays it with great energy, great passion."
O'Neal continued:
"And you knew that as great of a player as he is, he's going to have a game like that. He needed to have a game like that for them to win. And that's what great players do."
Steph Curry definitely bolstered his case for greatness by leading the Warriors to this season's NBA title, going level with O'Neal and LeBron James for four championships. With the Warriors built to win in the next few years, there's a chance Curry could surpass the two legends.
Guess the Lakers players!
