NBA: Lack of a true Rivalry?

by **Indy** on Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:06 am

Personally, I'm looking forward to the next Knicks/Nuggets game. That is the next big rivalry, anybody else think so?

by **Jugs** on Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:02 pm

Lack of a true rivalry? I think the Nuggets and the Knicks are the next great rivalry.

zomfg you fucking stupid ass fuckwitted people who really think it's gonna be a rivalry. I know who are being sarcastic..

by **Abctest123** on Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:24 pm

BigKaboom2 wrote:
Elbeen wrote:Denver-New York may be the best rivalry right now... after that brawl

Is there an echo in here?

I think Suns - Mavs is the best rivalry.

Seems like one, but its similar to the Spurs and Mavs thing, the two teams don't have a dislike for each other, and just don't give a damn about this stuff. If its a rivalry, its a friendly rivalry at best IMHO.

by **Gundy** on Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:30 pm

Too bad there's no such thing as a friendly rivalry.

by **bigh0rt** on Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:14 pm

You know what, I just thought of something. The Knicks and Nuggets are probably a rivalry now. :eh:

by **Erchamion** on Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:16 am

Problem is they don't play in the same conference so there will be not much rivalry for the people at home.

by **cyanide** on Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:00 am

Erchamion wrote:Problem is they don't play in the same conference so there will be not much rivalry for the people at home.

That's what I said too; but that doesn't stop them from being the next great rivalry.

by **Matt** on Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:43 pm

problem is, by the time they play next half the NYK roster will be overturned.

by **Metsis** on Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:29 pm

The Knicks and the Nuggets right now would qualify for the rivalry class... They have the spices to make up a good rivalry now. The coaches don't like each other and the players are bound to carry some grudges now. This has the tools... There's the hate, there are people talking about how the other guys did the wrong and we didn't do anything wrong or anything... The blame game is being played. Too bad that the teams won't play again this season unless they both reach NBA finals and we know what percentages that battle has of happening...

A great rivalry needs media, anger, hatred and people who are willing to keep it up.

Too bad Isaiah will be gone after the season. I think most of the NY roster will be broken down or at least they will try to overhaul the roster. NY just has so crazy pieces that they are locked pretty tight for the next few years... And trading isn't going to be easy.

This Zeke vs. Karl thing could go on, if Zeke is picked up by another team which after this NY fiasco would be pretty darn incredible...

About the Spurs and Mavs thing... It's not even close to being a rivalry... I don't think anyone can have a rivalry with the Spurs. Sure they are good and beat a lot of people, but there is no one to be the face of the franchise to hate... Duncan is just too low key for this.

Rivalry really needs a loose cannon to say some crazy things to get people riled up about it... Rivalries are great for the sports and really make up for heated battles, but David Stern has decided that there should be no rivalries in the NBA...

If you really are seeking a rivalry from the 90's... Bulls and Jazz had kind of a rivalry. It was more on the Spurs - Mavs level though, but if you want a real rivalry from the 90's, look no further than Indiana and Knicks... Now that had all the elements... Indiana supporters used to love Reggie and New Yorkers used to love to hate him... The people were all behind this.

Lakers and Celtics used to duke it out in the 80's... But those times are long gone... We are moving forward into the 21st century and forward to a league where rivalries will be severly hindered by the league office!

by **maes** on Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:21 am

I prefer it without a big rivalry like the Lakers & Celtics. A decade of watching the NBA with only 2 teams really having a chance to win would have been boring.

Even as a Chicagoan, the Bulls dominance got a little routine after a while. I basically started watching playoffs at the conf finals.

Nowadays, with superstar trades being routine, HOF caliber coaches like PJ & Riley moving teams, you never know how a season will turn out. It has more of the unknown of college basketball.

by **air gordon** on Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:52 am

sure the dominance was a little routine but like another poster said earlier in the thread- each time the Bulls played the Pistons/Cavs/Knicks/Utah, you know each game was going to be awesome, blowout or not

Metsis- what do you mean Stern is against rivalries? The NBA is basically manufacturing one with the Heat and Lakers. No coincdence that those 2 teams again are playing each other during the holiday

by **nzspurs** on Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:08 pm

Will the next Sixers-Nuggets game have a bit of rivalry in the air?

Another semi-rivalry is the Nets@Raptors because of the hostile VC-hating crowd, although i think thats died down a bit now.

The best rivalry at the moment in the nba is Mavs-Spurs. If you are a fan of either team you can feel the stakes rise when they square-off, and there is a true hatred for the other team. Is that not what a rivalry is all about?

BTW Nba live 07; just because two teams play in the same division does not make them rivals. E.g Orlando vs Miami is not a rival game.

by **R.J.** on Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:11 pm

Bulls vs. Knicks? Hello?

by **[C][B]#4** on Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:19 pm

I guess the Raptors and the Nets have somewhat of a rivalry because of Vince Carter...but I guess that's just more of Raptor fans hating on Vince.

by **Metsis** on Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:02 pm

air gordon wrote:sure the dominance was a little routine but like another poster said earlier in the thread- each time the Bulls played the Pistons/Cavs/Knicks/Utah, you know each game was going to be awesome, blowout or not

Metsis- what do you mean Stern is against rivalries? The NBA is basically manufacturing one with the Heat and Lakers. No coincdence that those 2 teams again are playing each other during the holiday

Heat and Lakers??? Please... Sure Shaq and Kobe and Jackson parted ways in an ugly manner, but that has almost but died down. It's not like Shaq and Kobe want to tear each others heads off any more...

Nothing sparks a good rivalry than a good old fisticuffs being played on the court or some other seemingly one-sided play without any calls... Now the league is banning defense step by step, thus taking some physicality from the game and giving out ridiculous penalties to guys involved in a fight... Carmelo got 15 for something that should have landed like 5-7 games off... It's a physical game, people get mad and frustrated when they think they are not getting fair treatment... And these NBA boys aren't known for their small egos and the habit of running away from confrontations... The best players thrive in these situations in fact...

Stern is making it so with all his prowess that there will be no physical play and no tempers flairing etc. And that equals as a league that doesn't allow rivalries...

There are no rivalries in the NBA today... The spurs-mavs thing is just something where they see who is better this time around... It's not like they play a dirty game, apart from Bowen that is... It's not like the audience will boo everytime a basket is scored on them!

The game is too civilized today... It lacks the raw energy that enabled all these intense rivalries.

by **Oznogrd** on Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:33 am

Nz, in live '07 it seems to be interstate...not interdivision when it says rivalry game. Honestly the only semi-rivalries I can think of are Spurs/Mavs/Rockets (i grew up in texas, if you liked one team, you hated the other 2...I was a rockets man myself, but i was like 7 and they had just won the championship). And as mentioned before me, it seems traded players tend to make "rivalry games" although it really makes no sense for that to occur. I'd love to see a Charlotte/New Orleans rivalry, but we're still a ways from that.

by **Donatello** on Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:19 am

You know, I've been thinking- Knicks/Nuggets should be a hot rivalry from now on. What do you guys think?
omg get it going again

by **BigKaboom2** on Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:52 am

maes wrote:HOF caliber coaches like PJ & Riley moving teams

I thought you were talking about PJ Carlesimo at first - I've never heard anyone refer to Phil as PJ.

by **air gordon** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:06 am

Metsis wrote:
air gordon wrote:sure the dominance was a little routine but like another poster said earlier in the thread- each time the Bulls played the Pistons/Cavs/Knicks/Utah, you know each game was going to be awesome, blowout or not

Metsis- what do you mean Stern is against rivalries? The NBA is basically manufacturing one with the Heat and Lakers. No coincdence that those 2 teams again are playing each other during the holiday

Heat and Lakers??? Please... Sure Shaq and Kobe and Jackson parted ways in an ugly manner, but that has almost but died down. It's not like Shaq and Kobe want to tear each others heads off any more...

Nothing sparks a good rivalry than a good old fisticuffs being played on the court or some other seemingly one-sided play without any calls... Now the league is banning defense step by step, thus taking some physicality from the game and giving out ridiculous penalties to guys involved in a fight... Carmelo got 15 for something that should have landed like 5-7 games off... It's a physical game, people get mad and frustrated when they think they are not getting fair treatment... And these NBA boys aren't known for their small egos and the habit of running away from confrontations... The best players thrive in these situations in fact...

Stern is making it so with all his prowess that there will be no physical play and no tempers flairing etc. And that equals as a league that doesn't allow rivalries...

There are no rivalries in the NBA today... The spurs-mavs thing is just something where they see who is better this time around... It's not like they play a dirty game, apart from Bowen that is... It's not like the audience will boo everytime a basket is scored on them!

The game is too civilized today... It lacks the raw energy that enabled all these intense rivalries.

lol yeh the lakers/heat isn't a true rivalry. i'm just merely mentioned that Stern and the nba marketing machine is trying to manufacture one with those 2 teams

but i don't agree with your assessment of the spurs-mavs. some good stuff there even with the hate/dirty play level not being the highest

NBA: Lack of a true Rivalry?

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