Ranking the top 5 NBA player feuds: LeBron James’ greatest rival isn’t Dillon Brooks

5. Nikola Jokic vs. Joel Embiid

Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have dominated the centre position for much of the past decade, with their rivalry peaking between 2021 and 2023.

During that stretch, the pair traded MVP awards while battling for the unofficial title of the league’s best player.

Embiid took home the 2023 MVP after Jokic won it in 2021 and 2022. But just months later, Jokic led Denver to their first NBA title, picking up Finals MVP along the way — a moment many saw as a decisive shift in their battle.

Since then, injuries have limited Embiid, and while Jokic appears to have pulled ahead, the debate remains far from settled among fans.

4. Tyrese Haliburton vs. Jalen Brunson

Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson have quickly built one of the NBA’s most compelling new rivalries. It began during the 2024 playoffs, when Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers knocked out Brunson’s New York Knicks to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

The competition didn’t stop there. The two even faced off on WWE SmackDown in a light-hearted segment that summer.

Their animosity only grew in 2025, when Haliburton again led Indiana past New York — this time hitting clutch shots to send the Pacers to the NBA Finals, giving him the clear upper hand for now.

3. LeBron James vs. Dillon Brooks

This feud has always been more about attitude than ability. Dillon Brooks started targeting LeBron James during the 2021–22 season, relying on trash talk and physical play to get under his skin.

LeBron got his payback in the 2023 playoffs, when the Lakers knocked out Brooks’ Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

After calling LeBron “old” before the series, Brooks fell quiet after the loss — and hasn’t managed to back up his words in a big game since, even though he still tries to stoke the fire every time they meet.

2. Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are leading the new wave of versatile big men. Their rivalry began with the 2023 Rookie of the Year race, which Wembanyama won after a standout season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Holmgren responded in 2025 by helping the Thunder capture an NBA title. While Wembanyama has downplayed the rivalry, claiming Holmgren “isn’t on his level,” the intensity of their matchups suggests there’s more to it than he lets on.

1. LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry

Nothing in modern basketball compares to LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. Their four straight NBA Finals meetings from 2015 to 2018 shaped an entire era, swinging momentum back and forth between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.

Even as both players move past their peaks, every meeting still feels special. Built on mutual respect and fierce competition, their rivalry stands as the defining matchup of a generation — and remains the benchmark for greatness in today’s game.