# The 13 Greatest NBA Rivalries of All Time

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

*By YPB Team · Published June 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-13-greatest-nba-rivalries-of-all-time*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Lakers vs. Spurs** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   The Western Conference standard of the 2000s, Shaq and Kobe against Duncan's Spurs.
2. **Heat vs. Celtics** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 786/1000)
   The recurring 2010s and 2020s Eastern Conference rivalry decided in tense playoff series.
3. **Clippers vs. Lakers** — 0% (0 votes · score 700/1000)
   The Battle of Los Angeles, a citywide rivalry that intensified in the Lob City and Kawhi eras.
4. **Bulls vs. Pistons** — 0% (0 votes · score 576/1000)
   The brutal late-'80s clashes between Jordan's Bulls and the Bad Boys Pistons.
5. **Celtics vs. 76ers** — 0% (0 votes · score 500/1000)
   The classic Bird-versus-Erving Eastern Conference wars of the early 1980s.
6. **Lakers vs. Celtics** — 0% (0 votes · score 409/1000)
   The defining NBA rivalry, with 12 Finals meetings across the Russell, Magic-Bird and Kobe-Pierce eras.
7. **Warriors vs. Cavaliers** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   The defining rivalry of the 2010s, with four straight Finals between LeBron and the Curry-Durant Warriors.
8. **Bulls vs. Knicks** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   The physical '90s Eastern Conference battles between Jordan and Ewing's Knicks.
9. **Pistons vs. Pacers** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   The early-2000s grudge match infamous for the 2004 Malice at the Palace brawl.
10. **Knicks vs. Pacers** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   The bitter mid-'90s feud fueled by Reggie Miller's clashes with Spike Lee and New York.
11. **Heat vs. Pacers** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   The hard-fought 2010s Eastern Conference battles between LeBron's Heat and the Pacers.
12. **Suns vs. Spurs** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   The contrasting-styles 2000s rivalry between the run-and-gun Suns and methodical Spurs.
13. **Rockets vs. Jazz** — 0% (0 votes · score 167/1000)
   The '90s Western showdowns pitting Hakeem Olajuwon against Stockton and Malone.

Tags: sports, basketball, nba, rivalries