Beginner guide
The Biggest Rivalries in the NFL and NBA
Nothing makes sports more fun than a rival. A regular-season game becomes a holiday, and a playoff matchup becomes legend. Here are the rivalries every new fan should know, and why they matter.
NFL rivalries
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
The oldest rivalry in the NFL, dating back to 1921. Two cold-weather Midwest cities, two founding-era franchises, and more than a century of bad blood. They meet at least twice every season.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The loudest NFC East feud. Philadelphia fans love nothing more than beating “America’s Team,” and Dallas fans return the favor. Games between them often decide the division.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Football at its most physical: low scores, big hits and games decided in the final minutes. Many fans consider it the toughest rivalry in the sport.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders
A grudge from the old AFL days of the 1960s. The Raiders’ outlaw image against Kansas City’s loud, red-clad crowd makes for a great AFC West clash.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys
These two met again and again in the playoffs, most famously in the January 1982 NFC Championship (“The Catch”). In the early 1990s, the winner of their NFC Championship games usually went on to win the Super Bowl.
NBA rivalries
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The greatest rivalry in basketball. The two most successful franchises have met in the NBA Finals 12 times: Boston won 9, Los Angeles won 3. The Bird vs. Magic battles of the 1980s turned the NBA into a national obsession.
New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
A 1990s playoff war that produced one of the most famous moments in Madison Square Garden history: Reggie Miller scoring 8 points in about 9 seconds to steal Game 1 of a 1995 playoff series. The rivalry has come back to life in recent playoff matchups.
Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls
In the late 1980s, Detroit’s physical “Bad Boys” knocked Michael Jordan’s Bulls out of the playoffs three straight years. In 1991, Chicago finally swept Detroit on the way to its first title.
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The rivalry of the 2010s: these two teams met in four straight NBA Finals (2015–2018). Golden State won three, but Cleveland’s 2016 comeback from a 3–1 deficit is one of the greatest Finals stories ever.
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
Two original franchises from 1946 and two cities that already dislike each other in every sport. Any playoff series between them is a big event on the East Coast.
How to use this as a new fan
Pick your team first, then learn who they hate. Mark rivalry games on your calendar: they’re the best games to watch with friends, and the best way to feel like part of the fan base.
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