# What is the best NBA Finals rivalry?

> Dynasties collided, stars traded shots, and a few series came down to a single possession. Longevity, drama and sheer quality all pull in different directions here.

*By YPB Team · Published October 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-nba-finals-rivalry*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Celtics vs. Lakers** — score 1000/1000
   The league's signature rivalry, with 12 Finals meetings from Russell and West to Bird and Magic and Pierce and Kobe.
2. **Bulls vs. Jazz** — score 662/1000
   Jordan's Bulls beat Karl Malone and John Stockton's Jazz in back-to-back Finals in 1997 and 1998, capped by The Last Shot.
3. **Rockets vs. Knicks** — score 607/1000
   The 1994 seven-game Finals matched Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets against Patrick Ewing's Knicks.
4. **Celtics vs. Rockets** — score 571/1000
   Larry Bird's Celtics met Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets in the Finals in 1981 and 1986.
5. **Lakers vs. Pistons** — score 434/1000
   Detroit's Bad Boys met Magic's Lakers in 1988 and 1989, and the 2004 Pistons stunned a Kobe-Shaq superteam.
6. **Warriors vs. Celtics** — score 434/1000
   The 2022 Finals brought a Steph Curry comeback and a Warriors title over Jayson Tatum's Celtics.
7. **Heat vs. Spurs** — score 310/1000
   Back-to-back Finals in 2013 and 2014 with a Game 6 classic, then a San Antonio revenge sweep of LeBron's Heat.
8. **Celtics vs. Hawks** — score 310/1000
   Bill Russell's Celtics faced Bob Pettit's St. Louis Hawks in the Finals in 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1961.
9. **Bulls vs. Trail Blazers** — score 310/1000
   The 1992 Finals, which produced Jordan's famous shrug game against Clyde Drexler's Blazers.
10. **Bulls vs. Suns** — score 310/1000
   The 1993 Finals ended with John Paxson's three-pointer as Jordan's Bulls beat Charles Barkley's Suns.
11. **Mavericks vs. Heat** — score 233/1000
   Miami won in 2006 after coming back from 0-2, and Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks got revenge in 2011.
12. **Spurs vs. Pistons** — score 233/1000
   A grinding 2005 seven-game Finals decided by Robert Horry's Game 5 shot and a Game 7 win for San Antonio.
13. **Bulls vs. SuperSonics** — score 145/1000
   A 1996 Finals where Chicago's 72-win team beat Seattle's Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp in six games.
14. **Knicks vs. Lakers** — score 145/1000
   The 1970 and 1973 Finals pitted Walt Frazier and Willis Reed's Knicks against Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain's Lakers.
15. **Warriors vs. Cavaliers** — score 0/1000
   Four straight Finals from 2015 to 2018 between Stephen Curry's Warriors and LeBron James' Cavaliers.

Tags: sports, basketball, nba, nba finals, rivalries