Michael Jordan Told Warriors Owner Joe Lacob 73-Win Season Was Meaningless

Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob on Tuesday told Greg Papa of 95.7 The Game's The Afternoon Delight that during a conversation with Michael Jordan, the Hall of Famer said the Warriors' 73-win season in 2015-16 was meaningless (h/t James Herbert of CBSSports.com):

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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. 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.

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Lacob admitted to being hurt by the assessment, per ESPN.com, "He's fantastic, and I'm not going to cross him. But that kind of hurt, you know?"

That doesn't mean Lacob agreed with Jordan's assessment, however:

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I have to be honest: It's painful more to the players. I don't really think of it that way. 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.

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In the 2015-16 season, the Warriors set an NBA record by going 73-9, surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' previous mark of 72-10. Jordan was the star of that Bulls team, which went on to win the fourth of his six titles between 1991 and 1998.

The Warriors, meanwhile, set a number of records during their legendary march to 73 last year, including the most consecutive wins to start a season (24). They also won 54 straight regular-season home games, dating back to the previous season.

On an individual level, Steph Curry won his second consecutive MVP award and smashed his own record for three-pointers made in a season (402). The previous mark was 286, which Curry set in the 2014-15 season. Additionally, Steve Kerr was named the NBA's Coach of the Year.

Despite holding a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors ultimately failed to win a title, as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led the Cleveland Cavaliers to three straight wins, ending an otherwise epic season in disappointment for Golden State.

In an effort to win a second title in three years, the Warriors responded by signing Kevin Durant this offseason. While Golden State likely won't match last season's 73-win total—the team is currently 43-8 heading into Tuesday—it is the prohibitive favorite to raise another banner.

Until then, Jordan will maintain his bragging rights.