The Best Rivalries in the NBA Right Now

Rivalries have been a huge part of NBA history. And why not? Rivalries make games more interesting and, most of all, rivalries sell. Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers alone carried the league through multiple generations, starting when Red Auerbach was lighting victory cigars and the Lakers were based in Minneapolis, running all the way up through Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant battling it out. Celtics-Lakers isn’t much of a rivalry right now, but give it time.

As great as the Michael Jordan era was for both fans and the league as a whole, it was a time strangely bereft of rivalries. Once Jordan and his Bulls did away with the Pistons via a four-game sweep in 1991, the next decade was mostly Jordan coldly dispatching everyone. Was there a Knicks vs. Bulls rivalry? Sure, in New York for Knicks fans.

But in recent years, rivalries have returned. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, and their four-straight NBA Finals showdowns, is the most obvious one. But there are plenty more, pitting team against team, city against city, and in some cases, player against player. Before we hit the NBA Playoffs, here are the best rivalries in the Association for the 2018-19 season.

Perhaps the second most prestigious rivalry in NBA history behind Celtics vs. Lakers, these two Atlantic Division rivals don’t particularly like each other and we’re lucky enough that we get to see them throw down four times in the regular season—and hopefully in the playoffs. While the Celtics have largely had the Sixers’ number recently—Philly's won an abysmal three out of the last 20 meetings—emotions were running high in their last meeting March 21 when the Sixers orchestrated a 15-point comeback for the rare win over Boston. Terry Rozier couldn’t resist a dig at the Philly faithful when he told reporters after the game, “I thought the confetti was going to drop,” an obvious reference to the debacle that was Game 3 of the 2018 Eastern Conference semifinals between the two squads. If you don’t remember, that’s when Marco Belinelli sent the game into overtime with a clutch shot, but the Wells Fargo Center started the celebration a wee bit early. Boston went on to win in OT and win the series. These games are physical, emotional, and often lead to grade A trash talking. Yeah, we’re gonna need another postseason throwdown between these two.

Who doesn’t Joel Embiid have beef with these days? The master troll of the Association seems to have drawn the ire of Boston’s backcourt more than anybody right now. We saw Marcus Smart shove Embiid the last time the two teams played. That earned Smart an ejection and a target on his back for Embiid to clown on him. Then there’s Terry Rozier. He let everyone know precisely how he feels about the Sixers star center, stooping to a level of petty that few can approach. Of course, once Embiid got wind that Rozier was talking shit, he fired back.

These two have never particularly liked each other and it finally got physical when the point guards attempted to exchange blows in LeBron’s home debut with the Lakers back in October. Spitgate dominated the headlines around the league for a few days. Did Rondo really spit on CP3? While he maintained his innocence, the tape would suggest otherwise. Regardless of what you believe, it made the ensuing Lakers-Rockets matchups must-see TV. We hope Rondo finds his way to another Western Conference squad this off-season when he’s a free agent just so we can have three-to-four more regular season meetings between the rivals.

We want to make jokes about this one, but Jazz fans looked terrible—again—when one allegedly shouted some pretty awful things at Russell Westbrook during a game in Salt Lake City last month. It was the second incident involving Westbrook and a fan sitting in Vivint Arena over the past two seasons. After the most recent incident, Jazz owner Gail Miller had to deliver a pre-game message to fans. The Thunder and Jazz don’t meet again this season—of course, there’s always the potential for another trip to Utah in the postseason—but the O/U for points scored by Russ when he takes the court in Salt Lake City again should be set at 55.5. Instead of fucking up that loser fan, he’s going to fuck up the Jazz.

Houston hasn’t been getting along with the zebras this season and CP3 and James Harden aired their grievances after an especially frustrating evening post the All-Star break. Harden and Paul are experts at initiating contact and getting more calls than they probably deserve, especially the Beard who has perfected the art of hooking his arm into a defender while he’s driving to create contact that usually earns him a trip to the free throw line. But following the Rockets loss to the Lakers in Staples Center Feb. 22 that saw Harden disqualified with six fouls—including some suspect offensive fouls—he didn’t mince words. The 2017-18 NBA MVP said referee Scott Foster has a “personal” issue with him and called him “rude and arrogant.”

Paul, who has also voiced his displeasure with Foster, echoed Harden’s sentiments.

Harden, who earned a $25,000 fine from the league for speaking out, might be onto something since ESPN reported that Foster has reffed the last two games in which Harden’s fouled-out. Look for fireworks in the postseason should Foster get assigned a Rockets game.

The Knicks owner, who we're all familiar with, is his own worst enemy at times, engaging with fans who are really just looking to rile him up, and that’s exactly what happened in March in his latest episode with a fan. While many Knicks players vouch for the owner who takes good care of them, Knicks fans direct all their venom at the 63-year-old for the team’s malaise the past two decades. So every time there’s a rumor that he might consider selling for an absurd amount of money, fans get hyped. And one went the extra mile to bait the owner into reacting harshly for the cameras during a Knicks-Kings game at the Garden when the fan yelled at the billionaire to sell the squad. The billionaire shouted back, “You want to not come to any more games? Enjoy watching them on TV." It was the latest incident featuring the owner of the Knicks, known for his thin skin, interacting with fans that generated yet another negative headline. The ugly incident featuring former Knick Charles Oakley two years ago is a different kind of beast.

The two moodiest players in the NBA are always paraded in front of microphones and cameras because they’re superstars and considered leaders on their respective teams. But this season they’ve been more miserable than Debbie Downer discussing the plights of their respective teams and, more provocatively, their impending free agency. Irving got extremely testy with the media before a game at Madison Square Garden on February 2 when he told reporters to “Ask me July 1” about his future. Meanwhile, Durant has been extra ornery every time someone even vaguely references free agency. KD’s surliness with the media, for our money, is the more curious of the two cases because he’s previously stated on The Bill Simmons Podcast how NBA locker rooms talk about free agency, trades, and the hot rumors going around the league just like fans and that he generally enjoys talking basketball with reporters. But when they do their job and ask questions regarding his summer plans, Durant gets all in his complicated feelings. The best example came when KD told the media to “grow up” February 7 when he complained about the fascination of his future:

Well, it kind of is a problem because you’re the game’s best player, on the game’s best team, and the immense media coverage you receive helps...you know what...nevermind.

Small market squads love to stick it to the big market clubs whenever they get the chance and the Pelicans appeared to relish leaving the Lakers high and dry at the trade deadline. It started when Anthony Davis informed the world he didn’t want to play in New Orleans anymore and the Lakers did their best to swing a deal that involved just about everyone on their roster not named LeBron James. The Pelicans ultimately weren’t interested in shipping him to LA, but played the Lakers enough that Magic Johnson publicly complained about New Orleans not negotiating in good faith. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss also chimed in, complaining how erroneous reports about the negotiations ruined the fragile psyches of the young core.

Nobody’s feeling sorry for the Lakers. Most especially the Pelicans who deserve a modicum of credit for contributing to the Lakers season spectacularly submarining in February.

Maybe this is the last go-around for Golden State as we know it since Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson could bolt this summer for new destinations. While that’s up for debate, what’s not is how there are nights when the Warriors look like the basketball court is the absolute last place they want to be. But can you blame them when it’s impossible to bring your A game, or even your B game, 82 times a season and Golden State has proven it can turn it on when the postseason arrives? The Warriors had extended periods of malaise this season where they lost 6-of-8 games in December and 6-of-9 in late February/early March. Arguably the most embarrassing loss came at the hands of the Celtics, who’s 33-point dismantling of the Warriors in Oracle Arena March 5 was the worst of the Steve Kerr era. Of course, all of that will be forgotten when the Warriors, featuring five starters with All-NBA talent, predictably roll through the Western Conference playoffs and take aim at their third straight NBA title and fourth in five seasons. You betting against them?