Lakers-Celtics tops basketball rivalries, among best rivalries in sports
ESPN’s 30-for-30 on the Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics championship historic matchups shined a light on basketball’s best rivalry, and it’s not even close (no matter what Cleveland-Golden State fans would say).
The three-part series got me thinking about what the other good rivalries are in the NBA and what are the best rivalries in other sports.
So here we go:
NBA
It’s all about the Lakers-Celtics. All those championships between the two franchises would make this one the best, but add in how many times they beat each other for those titles, and it becomes a runaway.
Others of note: Chicago-Detroit, San Antonio-L.A. Lakers, Houston-Dallas, Chicago-New York, Golden State-Cleveland.
College basketball
There are some really good ones here, but Duke-North Carolina is hard to top. Again, the championships get us started. But the two programs are in the same conference, and the fact that both are typically among the nation’s best make this one the easy No. 1 for college basketball.
Others of note: Kentucky-Louisville, UCLA-Arizona, Indiana-Purdue, Georgetown-Villanova, Michigan-Michigan State
NFL
It’s kind of hard to single out rivalries in the NFL, but the Chicago-Green Bay rivalry is right at the top. It has history on its side that is unmatched in the league.
Others of note: Dallas-Washington, Pittsburgh-Baltimore, Philadelphia-New York Giants, Pittsburgh-Oakland, Atlanta-New Orleans.
College football
Auburn-Alabama. Alabama-Auburn. The Iron Bowl. Enough said.
Of note: Ohio State-Michigan, USC-Notre Dame, Oklahoma-Texas, Army-Navy, Georgia-Florida.
Major League Baseball
Like football, major league rivalries are tough to single out, but the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants rivalry spans decades and two states. And it’s still as fun to watch as ever.
Of note: Boston-N.Y. Yankees, Chicago Cubs-St. Louis, Philadelphia-N.Y. Mets, Texas-Houston, Washington-Baltimore
This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Lakers-Celtics tops basketball rivalries, among best rivalries in sports."