NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
It’s hard for an NBA rivalry to stand the test of time. Superstars change teams, coaches get fired, and especially in the second apron era, it’s harder than ever to maintain roster continuity year-after-year.
The best rivalry in the NBA felt like the Golden State Warriors vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers for a while after the teams met in four straight NBA Finals matchups. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green remain with the Warriors, but at this point no one is circling that game on the calendar. Unlike in football, it feels like the NBA’s best rivalries change every few years, with a couple of notable exceptions.
Advertisement
Now that the 2026-27 NBA schedule has been released, here’s a look at the league’s best rivalries heading into the new season. For more coverage, read my list of the NBA’s most underrated offseason moves this summer, plus our take on the worst moves of the offseason.
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at New York on Nov. 27, at Miami on Dec. 12, at New York on Jan. 14
The Knicks and Heat played in the playoffs four straight years from 1997-2000, and produced an iconic moment when Jeff Van Gundy swung from Alonzo Mourning’s leg during a brawl. The rivalry renewed in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, with the No. 8 seed Heat winning in six games on their way to the NBA Finals. Pat Riley is still going strong in Miami at 81 years old, and he keeps the connection between these two franchises alive after coaching the Knicks for four seasons during their ’90s heyday before bolting to the Heat. While I don’t expect Miami to push the reigning champion Knicks at the top of the East this season, the Heat do have a tendency to overachieve, and will have a chance to build a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo in the coming years. Read our full history of the Knicks-Heat rivalry here.
Advertisement
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Houston on Nov. 11, at Golden State on Dec. 30, at Houston on March 1, at Golden State on March 7
Just say “7-for-44” around an NBA fan, and they will immediately know you’re talking about the Rockets’ shooting performance in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-10-best-rivalries-ranked-120000451.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-08-14 12:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
