Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob appeared on 95.7 The Game's "The Afternoon Delight" with Greg Papa on Tuesday, and in the course of the conversation, he looked back on the team's 73-win season that ended with blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lacob said that he does not think the decision to chase the all-time wins record is to blame for them falling short of their ultimate goal, instead pointing to Stephen Curry's injury and Draymond Green's suspension, stating that he believes they would have won the title in Game 5 if Green was playing. He also said that it hurt when Michael Jordan told him that the Warriors' record didn't mean anything.
"On the collective bargaining agreement, I was on the labor committee and I was in New York having a bunch of dinners with Michael Jordan and other owners," Lacob said, perhaps humble-bragging. "There were six of us. Actually, Dan was one of them, Dan Gilbert. Anyway, Michael Jordan -- people are drinking and having a good time and all that, but there was a moment where he said, you know, '73 don't mean [blank].' He did it, Michael Jordan did that. And I looked at him and I just decided not to make a big deal of it. I said, you know, you're right, we didn't win it, we had to get better."
During the 1996 playoffs, Chicago Bulls guard Ron Harper gave his teammates T-shirts that said, "72-10 don't mean a thing without the ring." The Bulls adopted that motto as they went through the playoffs, and the Warriors said similar things last year. Lacob, however, does not agree with that sentiment now that the season is in the rearview. He said that Golden State would consider hanging a banner for the achievement at its new arena, the Chase Center. There is already one at its practice facility.
"I have to be honest: it's painful more to the players, I don't really think of it that way," Lacob said. "I think that was one of the greatest years you could ever have in any sport. So many things went right. If you remember, all of the games that went our way. I mean, just amazing. It was an unbelievable year. When I wear golf, I wear a hat that says 73 on it. It's sort of my little remembrance of it. Because I know people all say, 'Oh, well you didn't win the championship' -- all the talking heads. You know what, we didn't. But it was still an incredible year and I will never forget it. And we should be very proud of it. And I think as time goes by, there will be more thinking about it. Because I don't think it's gonna be replicated very easily."
