Shaquille O'Neal should walk back his latest take on the Celtics' championship

The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA last season. They boasted a league-leading offensive rating and ranked second in defensive rating. They won 64 regular-season games and 16 of their 19 postseason outings.

Some sections of the NBA media and its wider fanbase have questioned Boston's championship win. There is a belief that Joe Mazzulla's team had an easy run. It faced a Miami Heat team without Jimmy Butler. Donovan Mitchell sat the final two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Tyrese Haliburton was struck by injury midway through the conference finals.

In a recent episode of "The Big Podcast," former NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal cast doubt over Boston's chances of securing a second straight championship next season.

“Boston had it easy. It’s not their fault,” O’Neal said. “It’s not their fault. I don’t care, they won … They won it and they won it square but there is still a lot of doubters. Their road was too easy, so when their road stiffens up and they don’t win, then that statement will be verified. Now, if they win next year, with all these teams healthy you’ve got to give them their respect. But, you know how us haters and us commentators do. OK, you got one, win two.”

O'Neal's comments are clearly built around the narrative that Boston had an easy route to a championship. However, that train of thought is disingenuous when you consider the regular-season dominance we saw from the team. The Celtics also dismantled a fully healthy Dallas Mavericks team in five games during the NBA Finals, yet don't seem to get credit for that achievement.

Brad Stevens has secured the long-term future of Boston's core rotation since the start of free agency. As such, there's a high chance that Mazzulla's team enjoys another dominant run to the NBA Finals , assuming it can stay healthy.

If Boston embarks on another dominant run to the NBA Finals next season, O'Neal may want to walk back his comments. After all, the Celtics haven't given anyone a reason to doubt them.