NBA rivalries have slowly become obsolete in mainstream media. While many teams have some sort of beef with others due to playoff matchups or scuffles in games, there hasn't been a league-defining rivalry since the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors went toe to toe in four straight NBA Finals. If you don't want to count that one, you'll have to go back to Lakers-Celtics.
Maybe it's because the league has become somewhat buddy-buddy, but there are still plenty of 'smaller' rivalries within divisions or conferences. One sneaky example that has been reignited over the last few years is between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets and Spurs have been trending in similar directions over the last few seasons. The two went into rebuilds after their stars, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, were traded, and they've since been stacking up on talent to get back to where they once were. Through this process, there have been a few heated moments between the two franchises and their fans.
The most notable involved Spurs star Victor Wembanyama before he even landed in San Antonio. During the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, Wembanyama seemed excited when he found out the Rockets would not be picking him at No. 1 overall.
This got Houston fans heated, including the mother of Rockets forward Tari Eason, who is quite active on social media.
Aside from that small part of the 2023 season, just the fact that both teams play in the same state carries weight whenever the two match up in the regular season. Soon, we may see both teams in a playoff setting with how the Rockets have already built their roster, and how the Spurs are getting better with Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.
A new chapter of this in-state rivalry could bring the beef to a larger scale this NBA offseason. Both franchises seem to be repeatedly mentioned in multiple blockbuster trade rumors.
The first and most obvious is regarding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. There's a very real chance the Bucks are moving Antetokounmpo, and it's been reported by Sam Amico of Hoops Wire that he's "intrigued" by the idea of playing in a state with no income tax. Texas is one of those states.
Now that the Spurs have landed the No. 2 and No. 14 overall picks in this year's NBA Draft, and the Rockets have No. 10 plus expendable capital in the future, it looks like they'll be competing for the Greek Freak. You also can't rule either team out of trade rumors surrounding Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant.
Even more than that, ESPN's Marc Spears said on SportsCenter that the Rockets and Spurs are teams to watch if the Boston Celtics decide to trade some of their core players. With Jayson Tatum having suffered an Achilles tear, Boston could look to move some players given its salary cap situation.
Could this NBA offseason heat up the Interstate 10 rivalry? It's likely considering the two are up-and-coming franchises geared toward acquiring the same talent. Keep an eye out for Houston and San Antonio in plenty of trade rumors this summer.
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