Watch: Shaq declares '01 Lakers best NBA team ever

The greatest postseason run in NBA history belongs to the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers, which swept their way through three rounds before taking out the Philadelphia 76ers in five games to capture a second straight championship, en route to an eventual three-peat.

It's quite the feather in the cap of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal (Finals MVP that year), who believes the team's nearly unblemished record puts it in a class of its own.

"Derek Fisher and I went 15-1 in the Finals. That's the best team ever. You heard it here first," O'Neal said Thursday night during TNT's "Inside the NBA" broadcast. "Write it down, take a picture, fax it, put it on your DVD. That's the best championship team ever."

The Lakers won 56 games during the regular season, which doesn't come close to the marks set by the '96 Chicago Bulls (15-3 in playoffs, title win) or 2016 Golden State Warriors (15-9 in playoffs, no title).

Then again, what a roster accomplishes in April, May, and beyond ultimately holds more weight. Until (and if) a team can go undefeated in the playoffs, Shaq will continue to have ammunition to support his claim.