The 25 best rivalries in NBA history

Part of what makes the NBA, or any pro sports league, so compelling to watch is the narratives, especially those centered on rivalries. Throughout the decades, the NBA has fostered a number of foe vs. foe relationships, some long-lasting and others short but sweet. These are the best rivalries in the history of the league.

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Two of the NBA's oldest teams have been clashing for decades. There were three major eras, when both teams were among the best in the league and facing off against each other: The '50s and '60s when Russell's Celtics toppled Jerry West's Lakers over and over, when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson defined '80s basketball, and the brief 2008 to 2010 window when Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce faced each other in the Finals twice and each won one.

Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

Worth highlighting on its own is Magic vs. Bird, which started pre-NBA, with the 1979 NCAA Championship. When they were both NBA stars in the '80s for the long-feuding Lakers and Celtics, their intense battles brought a new wave of popularity to the league. Through it all, though, there was an underlying mutual admiration and respect for what each other brought to the court.

Michael Jordan vs. Detroit Pistons (1988-1991)

In the late '80s and early '90s, the Pistons had their own set of "Jordan Rules," which involved being physically rough with the Bulls star in order to wear him down. This caused a lot of on-court tension, especially during the three straight seasons they faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons won the first two while the Bulls won the third, with Detroit being the final hump MJ had to get over to win his first championship.

Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain

Russell and Chamberlain delivered value in different ways: Wilt was a stat-stuffer while Bill was a team-first defensive anchor. In 1962, the year Wilt averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds a game, it was Russell who took home the MVP trophy. Their teams faced off in the postseason many times, but more often than not, Russell's dominant Celtics emerged victorious.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors (2015-2018)

For four straight seasons, it was undeniable who the best team from each conference was, as LeBron's Cavaliers faced off against the hot-shooting Warriors in the Finals every year. The defining NBA rivalry of the 2010s was at its most dramatic in 2016, when Golden State, which had a historic 73-win regular season, went up 3-1 against Cleveland before LeBron led the team to three straight wins and the title.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs (1999-2013)

From 1999 to 2013, either the Lakers or Spurs were the Western Conference champs and reached the Finals in 12 of the 15 seasons. The teams were simply the standard of excellence in the 2000s, and their match-ups were legendary. Shaq and Kobe vs. Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili was must-see TV, especially when they faced off in a playoff series.

Shaquille O'Neal vs. Kobe Bryant

Shaq and Kobe had a bunch of success together, winning three straight championships. Famously, though, the partnership dissolved due to personal conflict. They went their separate ways and found success elsewhere, but eventually, the beef died down, and the two came to a place of mutual respect and love.

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Celtics-Lakers is the most-discussed NBA rivalry, but Boston also has a longtime basketball feud with Philly. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were the league's two best big men in the '60s, in the '80s, it was Larry Bird vs. Julius Erving. The rivalry has reignited in recent years with Jayson Tatum's Celtics and Joel Embiid's Sixers, although as Embiid famously said, it's "not a rivalry" since the Celtics almost always win.

Michael Jordan vs. Isiah Thomas (1988-1992)

A subset of the Bulls-Pistons rivalry, the beef between MJ and Isiah extends beyond their NBA teams, too. Most notably, Thomas was left off the 1992 Olympic "Dream Team" despite being one of the best point guards in the world at the time. The belief at the time was that Thomas didn't make the cut because Jordan and other players had personal issues with him.

Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks (1989-1996)

The Bulls and Knicks were familiar postseason foes in the '90s. More often than not, MJ's Bulls came out ahead, with the Knicks beating them in a seven-game conference semifinals series in 1994, eventually reaching the Finals. The face-offs were defined by physical toughness and poster dunks, making it one of the 1990s' more exciting rivalries.

Reggie Miller vs. New York Knicks (1993-2000)

The Knicks and Pacers repeatedly clashed in the '90s. The moment everybody remembers, though, goes without saying. In Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Reggie famously directed a choking gesture towards an animated Spike Lee.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings (2000-2002)

The headline of this same-state spat was, of course, the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Chris Webber and Mike Bibby led a strong team that was a major roadblock for Shaq and Kobe's Lakers. This series, though, many felt the officiating was blatantly in LA's favor, sparking one of the NBA's biggest conspiracy theories.

Phil Jackson vs. Jerry Krause (1987-1998)

During the Michael Jordan years, there was frequently friction between Bulls coach Phil Jackson and GM Jerry Krause. Krause once famously proclaimed that "organizations win championships," attempting to take credit away from Jackson and his players. A new generation recently learned about this historic clash, as it was a focus of the Last Dance documentary series.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks (2001-2014)

Both the Spurs and the Mavericks were among the more consistent NBA franchises of the 2000s, and they're in each other's backyards. From 1999 to 2011, they were the only non-Lakers team from the West to make the Finals. Dirk and Duncan were two of the era's finest forwards, and they always showed up on the big stages, often at the same time.

Shaquille O'Neal vs. David Robinson

Once, Shaq said that Robinson denied him an autograph when he was younger. He later admitted this wasn't true and he just used the fib as motivation, but that didn't stop a rivalry from blossoming. It was most notable when, in the final game of the 1995 season, Robinson scored 71 points, putting him just above Shaq to win that season's scoring title.

Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons (1987-1991)

From 1984 to 1987, the Celtics represented the Eastern Conference in the Finals. Towards the end of that run, though, the Pistons were emerging as a team to beat, and in 1988, they finally toppled Larry Bird and company. Detroit then launched a mini-dynasty of its own, making the Finals in '88 and winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.

LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce (2008-2013)

Whether in Cleveland or Miami, LeBron was a thorn in the side of Pierce's Celtics during their successful run in the late 2000s and early 2010s. LeBron was clearly the better player, but Pierce's knack for delivering in major moments made their match-ups as intense as NBA basketball comes. During that period, Boston represented the East in the Finals in 2008 and 2010, while LeBron's Heat made four straight Finals appearances.

Utah Jazz vs. Chicago Bulls (1997-1998)

The Bulls-Jazz rivalry was short-lived but intense, as both teams met in the Finals back-to-back in 1997 and 1998. Michael Jordan was looking to continue adding to his late-career legacy, while John Stockton and Karl Malone were two greats still chasing their first ring. Chicago came away with both titles, but not without a real fight from Utah.

Larry Bird vs. Julius Erving (1980-1985)

Bird's rivalry with Magic Johnson was the one that helped define his career, but he also clashed with Dr. J. Most famously, in a 1984 game, the two got into a scrap that involved the players grabbing each other by the throat. The Celtics and 76ers were among the best teams in the East, so these two regularly went head-to-head.

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics (2010-2023)

As aforementioned, Pierce's Celtics and LeBron's Heat were bitter rivals in the 2010s. The oppositional energy between the two teams had a second wave, though, with Jayson Tatum's Celtics and Jimmy Butler's Heat clashing in 2020 as two of the best teams in the East.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Historically, the Lakers have been the toast of Los Angeles, while the Clippers were a bit of a joke sideshow. More recently, though, the Clippers have started to find success, such as during the "Lob City" era and on more recent teams led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The teams share the same home arena, and the franchises regularly jostle for the crown of LA's best basketball team.

Draymond Green vs. Jordan Poole (2022)

During a practice in 2022, what seemed to have been some sort of significant window of tension between Green and Poole boiled over. Green threw a punch at Poole, video of the altercation leaked, and it became one of the year's biggest NBA stories. Green made public apologies, and Poole was eventually traded.

Nikola Jokić vs. Joel Embiid (2021-2023)

The league's two best centers of the modern era, Jokić and Embiid, have two different play styles, but they're both after the same thing: MVP trophies. They went head-to-head on that front over a three-year stretch. Jokić won in 2021 and 2022, with Embiid finishing second in voting, while Embiid finally overtook Jokić in 2023.

Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James

Kobe and LeBron aren't from the same generation, but their careers did overlap significantly. As James was ascending, there was much debate about whether he had yet surpassed Bryant. They weren't the biggest on-court rivals in high-stakes head-to-head matchups, but they were often paired together in conversations about legacy.

Dirk Nowitzki vs. Dwyane Wade (2006, 2011)

These two 2000s icons have a real history together. Wade's Heat toppled Dirk's Mavericks in the 2006 Finals, only for their teams to meet again in 2011, with Nowitzki getting revenge. The rivalry was all part of the game, though, and the pair seemed to be pals when they were in the midst of their simultaneous final seasons in 2019.