OT: LeBron James believes Rivalries are gone in the NBA...

[BigGameDamian]

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/10/3810784/lebron-james-rivalries-are-gone.html

LeBron James discussed on Tuesday the status of rivalries -- or lack thereof -- in the NBA these days.

“What is a rivalry these days?” James said when asked if the Miami Heat hold a rivalry with the Indiana Pacers. “What’s a rivalry? A rivalry is Celtics and Lakers. They met like four out of five years. … Bulls-Pistons. Those are rivalries, man.

“We’ve played these guys two straight years in the playoffs, and guys automatically make it a rivalry. It’s not a rivalry.”

James believes no rivalries exist in the NBA anymore.

“There is no real rivalry in the NBA these days,” James said. “You don’t see the competition enough or play the competition a lot. It’s two really, really good teams that [are] striving to win a championship, but rivalries … there are no more rivalries. There isn’t. It’s the truth. No rivalries.

“Cowboys-Redskins is a rivalry. Ohio State-Michigan is a rivalry. Duke-North Carolina is a rivalry. Bears-Packers is a rivalry.”

 

[BrianFromWA]

“There is no real rivalry in the NBA these days,” James said. “You don’t see the competition enough or play the competition a lot. It’s two really, really good teams that [are] striving to win a championship, but rivalries … there are no more rivalries. There isn’t. It’s the truth. No rivalries.

“Cowboys-Redskins is a rivalry.

They meet twice a year. Haven't met in the playoffs since 1982.

Ohio State-Michigan is a rivalry.

They meet once a year.

Duke-North Carolina is a rivalry.

They meet three times a year, generally (including ACC Championship). Never met in the NCAA tourney.

Bears-Packers is a rivalry.”

They play twice a year, and have had playoff games in 2011 and 1941.

BTW, Army-Navy's a rivalry.

I don't trust bandwagonning Yankee fans to tell me about fandom or sports history.

 

[MickZagger]

Rivalries are gone because players sellout and join forces with other star players and friends. What Lebron did by leaving Cleveland and joining the Heat is a big reason why rivalries are gone.

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

Understandable, considering his prime fan base are as fair-weathered as he is. The Blazers have rivals, no question. There are just certain teams fans get up for: Fakers, Dallas, OKC to name a few... twolves, phx now even. Rivalries come from History. The Heat don't have nearly the history Portland does.

 

[handiman]

How many years did the Bulls and Pistons play in the playoffs? It can't be much more than the two for Miami-Indiana.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I agree with Lebron, I don't feel there are any real rivals in the NBA these days. If anything I was thinking Indy Miami . . . but if the best player on Miami doesn't even feel a rivalry there, not sure how the fans can.

 

[Draco]

For it to be a rivalry each team needs to have beat the other. If the Pacers beat the Heat in the playoffs this year; next season it will be much more of a rivalry.

Its kind of like us against the Lakers. We hate them because they knocked up out of the playoffs but they don't give a rats ass about our dinky little team.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

There isn't rivalries in the NBA on the court anymore. Too much turnover of players from year to year.

Now fanbases have rivals.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Understandable, considering his prime fan base are as fair-weathered as he is. The Blazers have rivals, no question. There are just certain teams fans get up for: Fakers, Dallas, OKC to name a few... twolves, phx now even. Rivalries come from History. The Heat don't have nearly the history Portland does.

How are the Suns and Mavs a rivalry to the Blazers? Sorry I don't consider the Blazers vs. TWolves rivalry that real.

 

[Draco]

How are the Suns and Mavs a rivalry to the Blazers? Sorry I don't consider the Blazers vs. TWolves rivalry that real.

Yeah I kind of agree, although we had some great playoff series with the Suns in the 90's. The Mavs knocked us out of two tough playoff series the last decade. I wouldn't call the TWolves a rivalry, its a one sided unfair beat down. Call it domestic abuse?

 

[BrianFromWA]

I think I would've said, historically, L*kers and Sonics (RIP).

Utah was for a while, GSW's a fun matchup and MIN might be someday if they become good at basketball, but I think LAL is our only "rival" right now. If you wanted to put OKC in there, I wouldn't complain.

 

[Mediocre Man]

The one thing free agency has caused is a lack of rivalries, IMO.

 

[Run BJM]

How about LAL and Boston meeting 3 years in a row in the finals recently? And all the series were pretty long. IMO Indy-Miami is developing into a legit rivalry and LeBron is only making these comments to irritate Indy.

I do agree with him that NBA teams don't play each other enough, and if teams played their divisional teams more frequently the rivalries would be much stronger. That is holding back a lot of really good rivalries. My Warriors developed a rivalry with the Rockets and Clippers last year. Every game is very intense, yet we still only get 4 games a year, even with the Clippers who are within the division. They need to take a page from the NHL's book.

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

How are the Suns and Mavs a rivalry to the Blazers? Sorry I don't consider the Blazers vs. TWolves rivalry that real.

You're dating yourself.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Who. Fucking. Cares.

 

[Mediocre Man]

You're dating yourself.

I used to date myself in high school a lot when I had to try and see boobs through the scrambled tv

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I think that "fan bases have rivalries" makes sense, but I'd add that many are one way.

Por-LAL is a rivalry... to Portland fans.
Por-TPups is a rivalry... to TPup fans.

One thing that limits rivalries is player movement. If players are trading teams every couple of years then there's not a lot of impetus for a rivalry, and player movement is encouraged as ever (by the CBA).

 

[Hobbesarable]

I think I would've said, historically, L*kers and Sonics (RIP).

Utah was for a while, GSW's a fun matchup and MIN might be someday if they become good at basketball, but I think LAL is our only "rival" right now. If you wanted to put OKC in there, I wouldn't complain.

LAL may be a rival during the regular season. However, the rivalry doesn't have the same flavor since divisional realignment separated the Lakers and Blazers from the same division.

 

[BigGameDamian]

I used to date myself in high school a lot when I had to try and see boobs through the scrambled tv

Now you have the internet!

 

[MARIS61]

A hot dog narcissist with no loyalty to his teams or fans, not surprising that he has not been included in any traditional rivalries. Rivalries require rabid fans and emotionally committed players.

 

[MARIS61]

. . . but if the best player on Miami doesn't even feel a rivalry there, not sure how the fans can.

Let's leave Greg Oden out of this.

 

[-Ace-]

How about LAL and Boston meeting 3 years in a row in the finals recently?

They met two out of three years....2008 and 2010.

 

[Further]

The nba isn't nearly as tough, violent as it used to be. The loss of brutes has lessened the rivalries. In the past, players hated opponents who would get seriously physical. Often fights would break out. All this leads, over time to not only fan bases hating opponents, but players also having visceral reactions to certain opponents. And as teams would fight, they would bond over the incidents and bond over hatred of their enemies. Now, they all hug after the game.

 

[BigGameDamian]

The nba isn't nearly as tough, violent as it used to be. The loss of brutes has lessened the rivalries. In the past, players hated opponents who would get seriously physical. Often fights would break out. All this leads, over time to not only fan bases hating opponents, but players also having visceral reactions to certain opponents. And as teams would fight, they would bond over the incidents and bond over hatred of their enemies. Now, they all hug after the game.

Yep I couldn't agree more and thats why the NBA has gone down hill. If two players want to go at it let them go (With rules of course) when a player falls it's done. This is a grown mans game. I'm sick of hearing about all these wussy scuffles.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

The nba isn't nearly as tough, violent as it used to be. The loss of brutes has lessened the rivalries. In the past, players hated opponents who would get seriously physical. Often fights would break out. All this leads, over time to not only fan bases hating opponents, but players also having visceral reactions to certain opponents. And as teams would fight, they would bond over the incidents and bond over hatred of their enemies. Now, they all hug after the game.

Agreed, and fans should be able to throw stuff at Scott foster without recourse.