While impossible to quantify, there are only a small handful of rivalries which have truly transcended the game — the bad blood, the drama and the intense battles that captured the attention of NBA fans for years.
If not for the rivalries below, there certainly wouldn’t be the NBA we’ve grown to love today.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of Crave Sports. Follow him on Twitter or like the channel on Facebook.
Photo: Getty
NBAs All-Time Greatest Rivalries
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Shaq vs. Kobe
It's no secret Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant despised each other, even after capturing a three-peat together. The dirty laundry is so deep you could write a novel on the topic.
But in short here's just a few highlights from the former Lakers stars :
1998: Shaq calls Kobe out for playing "selfish basketball." Reports surface that Kobe claims Shaq went too far with hazing him as a rookie.
2000-01: Shaq comes into training camp out of shape prompting Kobe to call for a new roster change. Shaq states he still wants the ball to run through him down low. Head coach Phil Jackson calls them both "juvenile."
2003-04: Kobe gets charged with sexual assault and all hell breaks loose. Shaq supposedly threatened to murder Kobe after he called him "fat and lazy" to the press. Kobe claims he was hurt because Shaq didn't back him up publicly, saying, "you're supposed to be my friend." According to Shaq's book, teammate Brian Shaw chimed in, claiming Kobe was aloof and never made an effort to befriend anyone on the team. Supposedly Bryant told a detective "he should’ve done as O’Neal allegedly did and paid women as much as $1 million to keep quiet about their encounters," furthering Shaq's rage. Shaq is traded within a year to the Heat. Kobe flirts with the Clippers before re-signing with the Lakers. Rumors swirl that Kobe forced the Lakers' hand in dealing Shaq.
2004-05: The highest rated regular season game since 1998 is on Christmas Day when Shaq’s Heat face Kobe’s Lakers. Shaq asks what happens to a Corvette (Bryant) that runs into a brick wall (Shaq) when talking about the first time Kobe attacks the rim. Miami won both regular season games against the Lakers.
2007-08: Kobe and the Lakers lose to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Shaq proceeds to produce an improvised rap performance claiming that Kobe can't win without him. He also blames Kobe for his telling his ex-wife about his infidelity, blaming him for his divorce.
The two claim to have a good relationship now and that it was a "good learning experience."
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The 'Bad Boys' vs. Everyone
Led by the core of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Mark Aguirre and Rick Mahorn, the Pistons of the late 80s were arguably the most physical and intimidating group of players to ever step foot on a basketball court. And everyone hated them for it.
The “Bad Boys,” who were allegedly called “classless bullies” by Celtics great Red Auerbach, reached the Finals three years in a row, winning two championships (’89 and ’90) through selfless play, solid defense and rebounding, and a physicality of Biblical proportions.
But before they were great, they had to endure crushing losses to the Celtics in ’87 (Bird, McHale, Parish), the Lakers in ’88 (Magic, Jabbar, Worthy) and battle out a youthful and hungry Bulls team with Jordan and Pippen to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals in ’89.
The Bad Boys found themselves in fist fights with just about every superstar of the era, meaning just about every fan not from Detroit hated these guys.
For the better part of a decade, it was an ‘us vs. the world’ mentality for a team who would rather punch a player in the face than allow a layup. It’s a mentality that would never work in today’s game, but in a period before stricter flagrant foul calls, it bought the Bad Boys two championships.
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Magic vs. Bird
Although we're not ranking them in any particular order, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird is without a doubt the most important rivalry in the history of the NBA.
It's a rivalry that started in college, when Bird's Indiana State met Magic's Michigan State in the 1979 NCAA National Championship game -- a matchup that shattered TV ratings records.
Once they were into the pros, they hit the ground running, instantly becoming stars. Magic led his Lakers team to the 1980 NBA title in his first year, earning NBA Finals MVP honors in the process. The two stars would then meet in three more NBA Finals in the 80s -- not one year was there not a Bird or Magic in the Finals the entire decade. Not ONCE.
Magic would win 5 titles and 3 MVPS (3 total Finals MVPs), while Bird would secure 3 NBA championships and 3 MVPS as well (2 Finals MVPs).
Jordan didn't come into the fold into the '84-'85 season and wouldn't dominate his way into championships until the 90s rolled around. Because of this, Magic and Bird are credited with single handedly bringing back the NBA to prominence.
Their electric rivalry wasn't just two men at the top of their craft battling against each other -- it was blue collar vs. Hollywood, East coast vs. West coast. It was a rivalry which changed the sport forever, and one that also had class and respect.
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Rick Barry vs. Everyone
Rick Barry vs. Everyone
The 12-time All-Star was one of the greatest players of his generation. He was also one of the most hated players in NBA history.
Referred as the "most notorious asshole in NBA history" by sports writer and NBA historian Bill Simmons, Barry had a plethora of problems which led to his demise.
Here are just a few quotes Simmons relinquishes from his research regarding Barry from former teammates and colleagues:
"He had a bad attitude. He was always looking down at you." - Robert Parish
"He lacks diplomacy. If they sent him to the U.N. he'd end up starting World War III." - Mike Dunleavy
"You'll never find a bunch of players sitting around talking about the good old days with Rick. His teammates and his opponents generally and thoroughly detested him." - Former Warriors VP Ken Macker
And that's coming from his own team!
Barry was also hated because ...
- He supposedly threw Game 7 of the 1976 Western Finals ... because his teammates never defended him when he got into an earlier fight with Suns guard Ricky Sobers. Yup, apparently Barry simply protested the second half of the game by refusing to shoot, until coach Al Attles threatened him in the waning minutes. By then it was too late.
- He also left the NBA in 1967 after leading his team in scoring for the ABA's Oakland Oaks simply because his father-in-law coached the team -- this after knowing the Warriors matched their offer financially and he would have to sit out a year.
- After returning to the Warriors in '72 and winning a championship in '75, Barry then threatened to leave the team again to become a color commentator for CBS. While on the air years later he would say disparaging remarks about other former players, insulting on-air partner Bill Russell with a racist comment.
- By 1977, Barry signed with the Rockets as a free agent, forever solidifying hatred from his own fans in San Francisco.
Barry is one of the greatest forwards in NBA history, but those who played against him and played with him, detest the guy.
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Jordan vs. Isiah
Anyone going up consistently against the maniacally competitive MJ was certainly a rival. But there was a special kind of hatred between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas.
Rumors are that Thomas, a Chicago native, was frustrated about losing his hometown hero status when Jordan rose to superstardom in the mid-80s. But the bad blood that arose when Thomas' "Bad Boys" annually took on Jordan's Bulls in the playoffs by the late 80s came to a head in 1992.
That was the year of the United State's famous Olympic 'Dream Team,' the best basketball team ever assembled -- a team Thomas was not part of.
Why?
Jordan disliked Thomas so much that it's believed he told USA Basketball to keep him off the roster, stating that if Isiah got the invite, he wouldn't play.
So if you're choosing Jordan or Isaih, who you going to choose? It's a no brainer.
Jordan got his gold medal and an even larger pedestal as the greatest of all-time. And Thomas never forgave him.
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Miller vs. The Knicks
If you watched basketball in the 90's, you're familiar with "Miller Time." If you were a Knicks fan in the 90's, you're likely clicking onto the next article as quickly as possible.
Reggie Miller's Pacers would meet the Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoffs six times between 1993-2000. The matchup even inspired a critically acclaimed ESPN 30 For 30.
Why?
Most people remember Miller's 8 points in 8.9 seconds in a comeback win against the Knicks in the '95 playoffs, which is probably the craziest, unlikeliest, most heroic comeback in NBA history.
Some probably remember Miller dubbed as the "Knick Killer," bringing upon a huge feud with Knicks super fan Spike Lee. At one point Miller even gave Lee the 'choke' sign, leading to more smack talk than a WrestleMania weekend on steroids.
But other fans might also recall John Starks head-butting Miller in the '93 playoffs after nasty verbal exchanges.
Without a doubt these two teams hated each other and Miller was always in the middle of it all. Neither the Pacers or the Knicks would come out of it with a championship.
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Wilt vs. Russell
The only other rivalry in history which can compare to Magic vs. Bird was Russell vs. Chamberlain.
Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain dominated the 60s and were responsible for changing how the game was played, both racially and strategically. Their dominance not only made way for more black athletes but also brought upon rule changes that would widen the lane and change how a player could shoot free throws.
Hell, Wilt "the Stilt" has the only 100 point game in NBA history and is credited by many for inventing the slam dunk. He also averaged 50 points per game one season and had a 55 rebound game at one point in his career. However, there's a big difference between Chamberlain and Russell when it comes to championships -- Russell has 11 rings compared to only 2 for Chamberlain.
The two MVPs (5 for Russell, 4 for Wilt) have been and always will be compared to one another. Wilt, who was obsessed with stats, has the better numbers. But Russell, who was more of a team player, has exponentially more championships.
No matter who you think was superior, these two battled in the paint against each other their entire careers.
In 1960, Chamberlain injured his right hand throwing a punch in the Eastern Conference Finals -- that was just the beginning. The best two players the sport had ever seen would meet in the Easter Conference Finals six times and play for the NBA title twice before 1970.
