If “The Last Dance” has taught us anything, it’s that rivalries used to be a lot more heated. The Bulls hated the Pistons, Knicks and Pacers and the feeling was mutual, which is why that era was so entertaining and competitive. The New Orleans Pelicans need some rivals.
Rivalries used to be the life blood of the NBA, but they have largely disappeared for a number of reasons.
One is that players now know each other for most of their lives because of AAU basketball. Zion Williamson and Ja Morant played on the same AAU team, are close friends and are very far from hating each other the way that Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas did.