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The 13 Greatest NBA Rivalries of All Time

by YPB Team

Bloody playoff wars, coast-to-coast grudge matches and dynasty-defining showdowns, some legendary and some criminally underrated. Cast your vote!

  1. Lakers vs. Spurs — ranked #11
    Lakers vs. Spurs
    The Western Conference standard of the 2000s, Shaq and Kobe against Duncan's Spurs.
    1000pts
  2. Heat vs. Celtics — ranked #22
    Heat vs. Celtics
    The recurring 2010s and 2020s Eastern Conference rivalry decided in tense playoff series.
    786pts
  3. Clippers vs. Lakers — ranked #33
    Clippers vs. Lakers
    The Battle of Los Angeles, a citywide rivalry that intensified in the Lob City and Kawhi eras.
    700pts
  4. Bulls vs. Pistons — ranked #44
    Bulls vs. Pistons
    The brutal late-'80s clashes between Jordan's Bulls and the Bad Boys Pistons.
    576pts
  5. Celtics vs. 76ers — ranked #55
    Celtics vs. 76ers
    The classic Bird-versus-Erving Eastern Conference wars of the early 1980s.
    500pts
  6. Lakers vs. Celtics — ranked #66
    Lakers vs. Celtics
    The defining NBA rivalry, with 12 Finals meetings across the Russell, Magic-Bird and Kobe-Pierce eras.
    409pts
  7. Warriors vs. Cavaliers — ranked #77
    Warriors vs. Cavaliers
    The defining rivalry of the 2010s, with four straight Finals between LeBron and the Curry-Durant Warriors.
    300pts
  8. Bulls vs. Knicks — ranked #88
    Bulls vs. Knicks
    The physical '90s Eastern Conference battles between Jordan and Ewing's Knicks.
    300pts
  9. Pistons vs. Pacers — ranked #99
    Pistons vs. Pacers
    The early-2000s grudge match infamous for the 2004 Malice at the Palace brawl.
    300pts
  10. Knicks vs. Pacers — ranked #1010
    Knicks vs. Pacers
    The bitter mid-'90s feud fueled by Reggie Miller's clashes with Spike Lee and New York.
    300pts
  11. Heat vs. Pacers — ranked #1111
    Heat vs. Pacers
    The hard-fought 2010s Eastern Conference battles between LeBron's Heat and the Pacers.
    300pts
  12. Suns vs. Spurs — ranked #1212
    Suns vs. Spurs
    The contrasting-styles 2000s rivalry between the run-and-gun Suns and methodical Spurs.
    300pts
  13. Rockets vs. Jazz — ranked #1313
    Rockets vs. Jazz
    The '90s Western showdowns pitting Hakeem Olajuwon against Stockton and Malone.
    0pts

#Sports648#Basketball128#NBA102#Rivalries7

Comments

Los Angeles and Boston have met in the Finals twelve times since 1959, a league record, and three of those meetings are theirs: https://youpick.best/articles/magic-johnson-vs-larry-bird-ranked

YP
ypb-team·Aug 21·
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