Throughout the NBA Finals, Shaquille O’Neal had a front-row seat as the New York Knicks ended their 53-year championship drought. Previously on Inside the NBA, Shaq stated that Mike Brown’s team had the “legendary championship DNA” for overcoming a 29-point deficit. In fact, the Big Aristotle also apologized and called Jalen Brunson “the best free-agent signing ever.” But his views have seemingly changed.

On The Big Podcast, where Iman Shumpert was the guest, the Lakers legend first admitted that his two championships were lucky. “I’m going ask you a controversial question,” Shaq began. “I have four championships. Two of them. Two of them were luck. You don’t think the Knicks’ championship was a little lucky this year?”

His co-host, Adam Lefkoe, disagreed, stating, “They won like 13 out of 14.” Even former Knick Shumpert chimed in, “Jalen Brunson won hurt.” It was a reference to JB’s hidden left wrist injury on his shooting hand, which became public last month as he underwent a postseason surgery. But Shaquille O’Neal was not changing his stance on “lucky” Knicks.

“If you don’t get that tip, that you don’t win that game. If dumb a– Fox don’t try to score with eight seconds left and OG gets a block. No. No, if they don’t let the 29 point lead go. I’m just saying it was little bit of luck in there.”

Shaquille O’Neal listed the famous OG Anunoby Tip-In in Game 4 of the Finals, which was only possible after De’Aaron Fox’s costly blunder. The Spurs star, instead of draining the clock and forcing the Knicks to foul, Fox inexplicably dashed to the rim for a quick layup, but OG came from behind to block it.

This Game 4 win was a 29-point comeback, as the Knicks trailed 81–52 with 9:27 left in the third quarter.

While now Shaq is calling the Knicks’ win “lucky”, let’s look back at his thoughts after the final buzzer. “They fought like true champs,” Shaquille O’Neal said during the postgame broadcast on Inside the NBA.

“They showed that legendary championship DNA in front of their home fans.”

This was after one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history, when the Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit. So Shaq’s viewpoint changed; the fans didn’t.

Knicks fans rally behind their team and dismiss Shaquille O’Neal’s comments

One comment poignantly stated, “I mean every team in nba history has gotten lucky at some point. Kind of a du– argument.” It also refers back to Shaquille O’Neal calling two of his championships lucky. But crediting luck alone for the Knicks’ comeback is not what netizens want.

Another wrote, “There’s no luck when you beat a team in 5 and swept the two teams prior.”

It’s true that after losing 1–2 to the Hawks, the Knicks lost only once over the next 51 days. During that stretch, they won 13 straight games and swept both the Sixers and the Cavaliers. That’s why fans don’t see it as luck- they see it as sustained dominance.

It even led to a passionate rant from a fan, “One of the best and most dominating runs in nba history – but sure they got lucky. If they miss a tip in? If Fox doesn’t make a bad play? There is not a single game in any finals you couldn’t say the same thing- the Knicks absolutely dominated start to finish.”

A comment also included a StatsMuse graphic showing the Knicks’ record 283-point playoff differential, the highest ever and above all Lakers championship runs.

The fan wrote, “Highest playoff point differential, including all his laker teams is lucky? Going 3-0 on the road in the finals is lucky? Last time I checked this is literally why they make it a 7 game series, to make sure the best team wins and not the lucky one.”

Clearly, the fans did not agree with Shaquille O’Neal’s analysis as another wrote, “Coming back from 29 aint luck dats sure will and determination I agree with alot of things shaq say but this aint 1 a dem.”

While Shaq called it lucky, the netizens disagreed.