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Former Indiana Pacers star Metta Sandiford-Artest chimed in on the raging debate on which team was the greatest in NBA history. Sandiford-Artest believes his 2004 Pacers team can match up with any team from the past or in the present.
The 1996 Chicago Bulls won 72 games and a championship, while the 2017 Golden State Warriors had Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The Warriors won two titles and went to three NBA Finals with this group.
The 2001 LA Lakers lost just once during their entire run, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Several reiterations of the "Showtime" Lakers also feature in the debate, while a few Larry Bird-led Celtics teams are not far behind.
In the midst of all this, former Defensive Player of the Year Sandiford-Artest decided to put one of his former teams in the conversation. Sandiford-Artest believes that the 2003-04 Pacers have a shot at beating any legendary team.
"Our 2004 Pacers team beats anyone of these teams now and in the past. The defense was too much. And if Lock down defense would’ve been in full effect," Artest tweeted.
The 2004 Pacers finished the season with the best record in the NBA at 61-21. The 61 wins were the most for the franchise in a single season, a record that stands to this day. The team was coached by Rick Carlisle and featured players such as Sandiford-Artest, Reggie Miller and Jermaine O'Neal.
They also had several great role players in Al Harrington, Jamaal Tinsley, Kenny Anderson and Jeff Foster. They made it to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the eventual champions the Detroit Pistons in six games.
The Pacers tried to retool their roster the following season by bringing in Stephen Jackson. However, the infamous Malice at the Palace derailed their campaign. Sandiford-Artest was suspended for the rest of the season, while Jackson and O'Neal were suspended for 30 and 15 games, respectively.
How does the future look for the Indiana Pacers?
Almost 20 years after Malice at the Palace, the Indiana Pacers are still looking to win their first NBA championship. The Pacers went through a rough patch until the arrival of Paul George in 2010.
When George left, the Pacers still managed to make the playoffs, but failed to make it out of the first round from 2016 to 2020.
After two straight losing seasons, Indiana is going through a full rebuild. They traded Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings last season.
In return, the Pacers acquired one of the most promising players in the NBA in Tyrese Haliburton. The team is still trying to acquire more assets by making Buddy Hield and Myles Turner available.
They are also not afraid to absorb Russell Westbrook's contract from the LA Lakers, as long as they receive a couple of first-round picks.
It is set to be a very long process for the Pacers, but they have a few of the right pieces in place already.
