To no surprise in a list of the top 30 all-time team rivalries in NBA history by HoopsHabit’s Daniel Lubofsky, the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers claimed the top spot on the list. Second on the list is Chicago Bulls-Detroit Pistons, a rivalry highlighted largely by the “Bad Boy” era Pistons against a young Michael Jordan‘s Bulls.
Third on the list is the Philadelphia 76ers-Celtics, a rivalry that has seen a resurgence in the past few years.
Checking in at number four is the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors.
Four seems a little bit high for a relatively short-lived rivalry and perhaps there is a certain sense of recency bias involved, but the Cavs-Warriors rivalry is indeed a top five rivalry in NBA history.