Greatest Sports Rivalries: NBA

Now I'll admit the NBA is probably at the back end of my favorite sports leagues however I'm still up-to-date with the history. My experience as a fan of the NBA goes back to the Michael Jordan-Chicago Bull era of the 1990s. During that time it seemed every kid was a Bulls fan and I was no different.

By around high school and into college I began to enjoy college basketball more than the NBA, most notably my college of choice, the Indiana Hoosiers. Also during this time I switched my NBA fan allegiance from the Chicago Bulls to the Indiana Pacers. When I moved to Indianapolis in 2010 and went to several home games at the Bankers Life Field house, the switch became all the more official.

In regards to NBA rivalries there is really only one that stands out for me miles ahead of the rest, and that's the LA Lakers vs the Boston Celtics. This is the penultimate of NBA rivalry; the two most championship caliber teams in history, east coast vs west coast, Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson, and so forth. Sure there are other old and more recent rivalries worth mentioning here, but this one takes the cake no doubt.


National Basketball Association


1. Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics

• Overall Record: Celtics lead 202-160
• First match-up ever played: Nov 9th, 1948
• Total meetings: 362
• Total championships for Boston Celtics: 17
• Total championships for Los Angeles Lakers: 16 

2. Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks

• Overall Record: Bulls lead 142-116
• First match-up ever played: Oct 23rd, 1966
• Total meetings: 256
• Total championships for Chicago Bulls: 6
• Total championships for New York Knicks: 2 

3. Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics

• Overall Record: Celtics lead 262-156
• First match-up ever played: Oct 23rd, 1957
• Total meetings: 418
• Total championships for Boston Celtics: 17
• Total championships for Detroit Pistons: 3 

4. Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs

• Overall Record: Lakers lead 115-108
• First match-up ever played: Dec 3rd, 1976
• Total meetings: 223
• Total championships for Los Angeles Lakers: 16
• Total championships for San Antonio Spurs: 5 

5. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

• Overall Record: Warriors lead 74-59
• First match-up ever played: Oct 17th, 1970
• Total meetings: 133
• Total championships for Golden State Warriors: 6
• Total championships for Cleveland Cavaliers: 1

6. Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics 

• Overall Record: Celtics lead 312-232
• First match-up ever played: Nov 30th, 1949
• Total meetings: 544
• Total championships for Boston Celtics: 17
• Total championships for Philadelphia 76ers: 3 

7. Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers ("Hallway Series")

• Overall Record: Lakers lead 100-50
• First match-up ever played: Oct 30th, 1970
• Total meetings: 150
• Total championships for Los Angeles Lakers: 16
• Total championships for Los Angeles Clippers: 0 

8. New York Knicks vs Miami Heat

• Overall Record: Knicks lead 75-64  
• First match-up ever played: March 2nd, 1989
• Total meetings: 142
• Total championships for New York Knicks: 2
• Total championships for Miami Heat: 3 

9. San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns

• Overall Record: Spurs lead 118-98
• First match-up ever played: Oct 27th, 1976
• Total meetings: 216
• Total championships for San Antonio Spurs: 5
• Total championships for Phoenix Suns: 0

10. Indiana Pacers vs Detroit Pistons

• Overall Record: Pistons lead 104-101
• First match-up ever played: Nov 18th, 1976
• Total meetings: 205
• Total championships for Indiana Pacers: 0
• Total championships for Detroit Pistons: 3

Honorable Mention

Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Lakers
Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls
Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks
Los Angeles Lakers vs Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks
Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs ("I-10 Rivalry)
Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets
Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat