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      Ranking 70 Greatest Player Rivalries in NBA History


      5y
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      1 / 66The following criteria was used to determine the greatest player rivalries in NBA history: 1) What is the historical significance between the two players? 2) Did the two players meet often in the playoffs and if so, how competitive were they against one another? 3) Are the players attached in some way (same draft year, traded for each other, former teammates)? 4) Were the two players often the “marquee matchup” of the night when their teams played against each other? 5) Was there an incident or altercation that created bad blood between the two players? 6) Do media and fans tend to compare the two players and create debate as to who was the better of the two? Click through this gallery for a look at the 70 greatest player rivalries in NBA history.

      thumbnail-image: The following criteria was used to determine the greatest player rivalries in NBA history: 1) What is the historical significance between the two players? 2) Did the two players meet often in the playoffs and if so, how competitive were they against one another? 3) Are the players attached in some way (same draft year, traded for each other, former teammates)? 4) Were the two players often the “marquee matchup” of the night when their teams played against each other? 5) Was there an incident or altercation that created bad blood between the two players? 6) Do media and fans tend to compare the two players and create debate as to who was the better of the two? Click through this gallery for a look at the 70 greatest player rivalries in NBA history.
      thumbnail-image: #70 Stephen Curry vs. James Harden #69 David Robinson vs. Patrick Ewing #68 Reggie Miller vs. Ray Allen #67 Michael Jordan vs. Nick Anderson #66 Chris Paul vs. Stephen Curry #65 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Robert Parish
      thumbnail-image: #64 Karl Malone vs. Dennis Rodman
      thumbnail-image: #63 Kevin McHale vs. Kurt Rambis
      thumbnail-image: #62 Patrick Ewing vs. Reggie Miller
      thumbnail-image: #61 Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams
      thumbnail-image: #60 Steve Nash vs. Tony Parker
      thumbnail-image: #59 Wes Unseld vs. Jack Sikma
      thumbnail-image: #58 Elgin Baylor vs. Sam Jones
      thumbnail-image: #57 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Hakeem Olajuwon
      thumbnail-image: #56 Michael Jordan vs. Clyde Drexler
      thumbnail-image: #55 Allen Iverson vs. Stephon Marbury
      thumbnail-image: #54 Kobe Bryant vs. Dwyane Wade
      thumbnail-image: #53 Michael Jordan vs. Patrick Ewing
      thumbnail-image: #52 LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard
      thumbnail-image: #51 Vince Carter vs. Tracy McGrady
      thumbnail-image: #50 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Alonzo Mourning
      thumbnail-image: #49 Patrick Ewing vs. Alonzo Mourning
      thumbnail-image: #48 Bob Pettit vs. Dolph Schayes
      thumbnail-image: #47 Allen Iverson vs. Tracy McGrady
      thumbnail-image: #46 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Yao Ming
      thumbnail-image: #45 LeBron James vs. Paul George
      thumbnail-image: #44 Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant
      thumbnail-image: #43 Rudy Tomjanovich vs. Kermit Washington
      thumbnail-image: #42 Robert Parish vs. Bill Laimbeer
      thumbnail-image: #41 Jason Kidd vs. Steve Nash
      thumbnail-image: #40 Alonzo Mourning vs. Larry Johnson
      thumbnail-image: #39 Larry Bird vs. Dominique Wilkins
      thumbnail-image: #38 Allen Iverson vs. Vince Carter
      thumbnail-image: #37 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Dwight Howard
      thumbnail-image: #36 Reggie Miller vs. John Starks
      thumbnail-image: #35 John Havlicek vs. Gail Goodrich
      thumbnail-image: #34 Wilt Chamberlain vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
      thumbnail-image: #33 Kobe Bryant vs. Allen Iverson
      thumbnail-image: #32 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Moses Malone
      thumbnail-image: #31 Charles Barkley vs. Shawn Kemp
      thumbnail-image: #30 Karl Malone vs. Shawn Kemp
      thumbnail-image: #29 Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird
      thumbnail-image: #28 Larry Bird vs. Julius Erving
      thumbnail-image: #27 Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson
      thumbnail-image: #26 Magic Johnson vs. Julius Erving
      thumbnail-image: #25 Tim Duncan vs. Kevin Garnett
      thumbnail-image: #24 Hakeem Olajuwon vs. David Robinson
      thumbnail-image: #23 Charles Barkley vs. Karl Malone
      thumbnail-image: #22 Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West
      thumbnail-image: #21 Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley
      thumbnail-image: #20 Michael Jordan vs. Karl Malone
      thumbnail-image: #19 Walt Frazier vs. Jerry West
      thumbnail-image: #18 LeBron James vs. Dwyane Wade
      thumbnail-image: #17 Kobe Bryant vs. Dwight Howard
      thumbnail-image: #16 Tim Duncan vs. Dirk Nowitzki
      thumbnail-image: #15 LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry
      thumbnail-image: #14 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Bob Lanier
      thumbnail-image: #13 Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce
      thumbnail-image: #12 LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce
      thumbnail-image: #11 LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony
      thumbnail-image: #10 Patrick Ewing vs. Hakeem Olajuwon
      thumbnail-image: #9 Magic Johnson vs. Isiah Thomas
      thumbnail-image: #8 Larry Bird vs. Isiah Thomas
      thumbnail-image: #7 LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant
      thumbnail-image: #6 LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant
      thumbnail-image: #5 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Tim Duncan
      thumbnail-image: #4 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant
      thumbnail-image: #3 Michael Jordan vs. Isiah Thomas
      thumbnail-image: #2 Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell
      thumbnail-image: #1 Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird
      Lightbox-image: The following criteria was used to determine the greatest player rivalries in NBA history: 1) What is the historical significance between the two p...
      Lightbox-image: #70 Stephen Curry vs. James Harden #69 David Robinson vs. Patrick Ewing #68 Reggie Miller vs. Ray Allen #67 Michael Jordan vs. Nick Anderson #66 Ch...
      Lightbox-image: #64 Karl Malone vs. Dennis Rodman...
      Lightbox-image: #63 Kevin McHale vs. Kurt Rambis...
      Lightbox-image: #62 Patrick Ewing vs. Reggie Miller...
      Lightbox-image: #61 Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams...
      Lightbox-image: #60 Steve Nash vs. Tony Parker...
      Lightbox-image: #59 Wes Unseld vs. Jack Sikma...
      Lightbox-image: #58 Elgin Baylor vs. Sam Jones...
      Lightbox-image: #57 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Hakeem Olajuwon...
      Lightbox-image: #56 Michael Jordan vs. Clyde Drexler...
      Lightbox-image: #55 Allen Iverson vs. Stephon Marbury...
      Lightbox-image: #54 Kobe Bryant vs. Dwyane Wade...
      Lightbox-image: #53 Michael Jordan vs. Patrick Ewing...
      Lightbox-image: #52 LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard...
      Lightbox-image: #51 Vince Carter vs. Tracy McGrady...
      Lightbox-image: #50 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Alonzo Mourning...
      Lightbox-image: #49 Patrick Ewing vs. Alonzo Mourning...
      Lightbox-image: #48 Bob Pettit vs. Dolph Schayes...
      Lightbox-image: #47 Allen Iverson vs. Tracy McGrady...
      Lightbox-image: #46 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Yao Ming...
      Lightbox-image: #45 LeBron James vs. Paul George...
      Lightbox-image: #44 Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant...
      Lightbox-image: #43 Rudy Tomjanovich vs. Kermit Washington...
      Lightbox-image: #42 Robert Parish vs. Bill Laimbeer...
      Lightbox-image: #41 Jason Kidd vs. Steve Nash...
      Lightbox-image: #40 Alonzo Mourning vs. Larry Johnson...
      Lightbox-image: #39 Larry Bird vs. Dominique Wilkins...
      Lightbox-image: #38 Allen Iverson vs. Vince Carter...
      Lightbox-image: #37 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Dwight Howard...
      Lightbox-image: #36 Reggie Miller vs. John Starks...
      Lightbox-image: #35 John Havlicek vs. Gail Goodrich...
      Lightbox-image: #34 Wilt Chamberlain vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar...
      Lightbox-image: #33 Kobe Bryant vs. Allen Iverson...
      Lightbox-image: #32 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Moses Malone...
      Lightbox-image: #31 Charles Barkley vs. Shawn Kemp...
      Lightbox-image: #30 Karl Malone vs. Shawn Kemp...
      Lightbox-image: #29 Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird...
      Lightbox-image: #28 Larry Bird vs. Julius Erving...
      Lightbox-image: #27 Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson...
      Lightbox-image: #26 Magic Johnson vs. Julius Erving...
      Lightbox-image: #25 Tim Duncan vs. Kevin Garnett...
      Lightbox-image: #24 Hakeem Olajuwon vs. David Robinson...
      Lightbox-image: #23 Charles Barkley vs. Karl Malone...
      Lightbox-image: #22 Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West...
      Lightbox-image: #21 Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley...
      Lightbox-image: #20 Michael Jordan vs. Karl Malone...
      Lightbox-image: #19 Walt Frazier vs. Jerry West...
      Lightbox-image: #18 LeBron James vs. Dwyane Wade...
      Lightbox-image: #17 Kobe Bryant vs. Dwight Howard...
      Lightbox-image: #16 Tim Duncan vs. Dirk Nowitzki...
      Lightbox-image: #15 LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry...
      Lightbox-image: #14 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Bob Lanier...
      Lightbox-image: #13 Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce...
      Lightbox-image: #12 LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce...
      Lightbox-image: #11 LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony...
      Lightbox-image: #10 Patrick Ewing vs. Hakeem Olajuwon...
      Lightbox-image: #9 Magic Johnson vs. Isiah Thomas...
      Lightbox-image: #8 Larry Bird vs. Isiah Thomas...
      Lightbox-image: #7 LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant...
      Lightbox-image: #6 LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant...
      Lightbox-image: #5 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Tim Duncan...
      Lightbox-image: #4 Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant...
      Lightbox-image: #3 Michael Jordan vs. Isiah Thomas...
      Lightbox-image: #2 Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell...
      Lightbox-image: #1 Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird...

      1 / 66The following criteria was used to determine the greatest player rivalries in NBA history: 1) What is the historical significance between the two players? 2) Did the two players meet often in the playoffs and if so, how competitive were they against one another? 3) Are the players attached in some way (same draft year, traded for each other, former teammates)? 4) Were the two players often the “marquee matchup” of the night when their teams played against each other? 5) Was there an incident or altercation that created bad blood between the two players? 6) Do media and fans tend to compare the two players and create debate as to who was the better of the two? Click through this gallery for a look at the 70 greatest player rivalries in NBA history.

      1 / 66

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