NBA's Best Rivalries

NBA's Best Rivalries
NBA's Best Rivalries /

NBA's Best Rivalries

Celtics-Lakers

Celtics-Lakers
Damian Strohmeyer/SI

The teams have won 33 the NBA's 65 championships and have met in the Finals 12 times, with the Celtics winning nine of those. Five of the 12 series have gone to seven games.

Bulls-Pistons

Bulls-Pistons
Manny Millan/SI

The rivalry was at its peak from 1988 to 1991, when Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan battled in the playoffs for four straight years, including three straight Eastern Conference championships.

Heat-Knicks

Heat-Knicks
Manny Millan/SI

In a series marked by brawls, long series and late-game heroics, the Heat and Knicks played each other in four straight playoff series from 1997 to 2000, with each series going to the wire.

Celtics-Sixers

Celtics-Sixers
Paul Kennedy/SI

The rivalry started with John Havlicek's inbounds steal in Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference final (inset). A 1983 exhibition between the two turned into an all-out brawl.

Bulls-Knicks

Bulls-Knicks
Al Tielemans/SI

The Bulls and Knicks met each year during Chicago's first 1990s championship three-peat, and again in 1994, when the Knicks were finally able to top the Jordan-less Bulls.

Spurs-Lakers

Spurs-Lakers
John W. McDonough/SI

The teams combined for five straight NBA championships from 1999 to 2003, meeting in the playoffs in four of those five years.

Spurs-Suns

Spurs-Suns
John W. McDonough/SI

The Spurs and Suns met in the playoffs four times during the 1990s, and five times in the 2000s after the additions of Tim Duncan and Steve Nash, respectively.

Lakers-Kings

Lakers-Kings
John W. McDonough/SI

Northern California vs. Southern California, the Kings and Lakers met in the 2002 Western Conference finals, where the Lakers won in overtime in Game 7.


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