The Next Great NBA Rivalry
Photo. G. LandI don’t think there’s an NBA fan out there who doesn’t wish we had rivalries in the League like we had back in the day. There are a few matchups that you know are going to be a little more intense than a random game, like Mavs/Warriors, Lakers/Suns and Suns/Spurs, but they’re all in the West and they’re nothing approaching classic rivalries such as Celtics/Lakers or Bulls/Knicks. That’s why I was more than happy to see that today’s Celtics got under the skin of the Pistons after winning in Detroit on Saturday night.
From today’s Detroit Free Press:
Next time the Celtics and Pistons meet, Detroit might do well to remember the way Boston walked off the floor after their 92-85 win at the Palace on Saturday.
It should serve as fine motivation.
The Celtics made quite a show of their win, with Paul Pierce yelling that the Celtics are the best team in the league, with several Celtics “popping” their jerseys, and, according to an ESPN.com report, with forward James Posey yelling to courtside fans, “Thanks for coming” and a mocking “Deeeee-troit basketball.”
In the Pistons’ locker room, that display was met with some smirks.
“They’re acting like they won the title,” forward Amir Johnson said.
Point guard Chauncey Billups took it one step further.
“They’re a little more happy than I know we were when we won our game out there,” Billups said. “It was just like a regular game for us with two good teams playing. They were kind of playing like it’s the Super Bowl, man.
“It’s just a regular game with two good teams playing. There was probably a little more at stake for them and their psyche than there was for us. But they won. It’s cool.”
If legit dislike between these two teams can really develop, we could be looking at a great rivalry for the next few years. And the fact that Billups – who the Celtics simply cannot stop – is in the center of it, makes it all the better.
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January 7th, 2008 at 10:50 am
DOC says:
thats good but a rivalry is where you beat eachother Mike used to bust the Knicks ass every year and the Knicks got the Bulls when he was striking out so that should say Pistons Bulls because Mike probaly laughed at that statement.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:01 am
YOUNGFED says:
That is too true DOC the Pistons Bulls series was like watching a hockey game. I’m suprised anyone made it out alive.
That Posey comment got me kinda mad i’m glad Chauncy played them with his comments. “Superbowl” gotta luv dat.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Kevin says:
And just like the Dirk/Nash rivalry, Garnett and Billups are possibly best friends.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thamilan says:
I was hoping there would be a Denver/New York rivalry, but Stern shut that down. David Stern ruins all the rivalries with his fines and suspensions. He turned the NBA into fun for the family, inbstead of making it a man’s game. Plus there are no more Rodman’s and Barkleys. The closest thing we have is an Artest, who suffered enough fines and suspensions from Stern.
-I’m a KG fan, but theres no way he would fight anyone. I remember him pushing around Duncan a few years back, knowing Duncan is a nice guy. When he saw that Maxiell wasn’t backing down, KG just shut his mouth.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:11 am
YOUNGFED says:
Don’t know about Billups and KG but Mcdyess hates KG they allows came to blows b4 and Rip and Ray don’t look to friendly either maybe they wanna prove which one was the best from college.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Myrie says:
Knicks/Bulls was a GREAT rivalry. For many reasons. The fact the the Knicks never beat a Jordan Bulls team in the playoffs don’t matter. It was still a rivalry.
Phil Jax vs Pat Riley…..Jordan back in NY (he was born in Brooklyn)…..Pippen vs Xavier McDaniel….Derek Harper vs JoJo English…..Starks lefty dunk…Oakley vs Rodman….Jordan vs Ewing….Ewing vs Cartwright….Charles Smith getting stopped under the hoop in ’93……all of the Knicks/Bulls head-to-head regular season games in 1997 (look it up…all 4 came down to the final shot/second)…City of NY vs City of Chicago…
Just so many…..I can still go on and on…..Jordans Double Nickel….Jordan/Spike Lee….Mars….Toni Kukoc busting ass….Anthony Mason busting ass….
bah well…..rivalries are built in the playoffs. Rarely do we see teams play each other 2/3/4 consecutive years, so its getting difficult for rivalries to develop.
A nice one would have been the Mavs/Suns western conference final last year like we all had hoped when they were both on 17 game win streaks last season.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Dime Magazine says:
Chauncey and KG are tight. Garnett told me in the interview for his last cover story for Dime that he considers Billups to be like a brother and doesn’t think he could deliver a seriously hard foul if the situation called for it.
- PC
January 7th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Stop fakin’ like you from Dime you know you ain’t interview no D&mn Body! Beat it.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
yo, I can’t take it anymore!! Why is the NBA trying to FORCE these rivalries, instead of just letting them develop for real? My goodness, the Celtics popping their jerseys and yelling at the crowd? C’mon, that was so fake. We’re not even at the all-star break! Chauncey was right on; you didn’t see them jumping around and waving towels and what not when they won just a few weeks ago. Boston wins one and they BUG the %$#& out!
January 7th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Korady says:
What’s wrong with the Celtics coming into the game with more energy? Wouldn’t that help them win? I’m not saying showing them up after was the best move, but if the Pistons aren’t going to come into a game against the Celtics this year with playoff intensity, something’s wrong with them
January 7th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
jay says:
yeah the nba does not have too many rivalries these days..the lakers/suns…used to be the lake show vs the queens. i can be up for the piston and C’s showdown..better than anything we got now i the east. .maybe dtown vs bron. i would say he had back in the towoin and PP days c’s and nets for two years but i hardly call that a legit rivalry..the mainstay was that idiot reporter callin out jay kidd’s son! yeah takes a real man to call out a 5 year old!
January 7th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
2 Easy says:
Whoa whoa whoa there people lets not act as thought the Celtics just got passionate for this game. They’ve been intense all season. No one says shit when Garnett practically rips his jersey off his chest and even though he and Chauncey may or may not be the best of friends have a man stand in the way of KG and a ring and see wat happens. Rip and Ray were friends but on the court they seem to forget that shit quick so iunno. But this was a statement game for the celtics so they had every right to be hyped. For 2 months everyone’s been sayin they havent beaten anyone good and to be honest havin seen 2 of their 3 losses, they should only have 1. Tony Allen cost them 2 games and damn near cost them this one too (I didnt see the Cavs loss) Im not on the Celts bandwagon by any means but they’ve earned my respect and not just cause have they 3 names but their overall play.
January 7th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
hands says:
I fondly remember the 80′s Celtics-Pistons rivalry, including the game where Robert Parish took out Bill Laimbeer, pummeling him to the ground, and yet the refs just “didn’t see it”. Hilarious.
January 8th, 2008 at 8:56 am
QQ says:
I agree with korady. The pistons are like “Wtf? They’re taking the game too seriously?!”. That’s what the L is all about! It’s intensity, it’s heart, it’s the will to win.
Damn, I sound like an NBA slogan.
January 8th, 2008 at 9:04 am
DOC says:
derek harper vs jojo english?spike lee mars? yeah great rivalry. Mike treated them like any other team. Any city from that era wanted to beat mike so thats their rival.Sixers wasnt shit and they were our rival too if u wanna go there greg grahm pax bigshot, benny, willie burton, pip ,stack, mike
January 8th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Kingboy D says:
Yo, speaking of the classic Knicks/Bulls rivalry, don’t forget the Knicks/Pacers (Starks/Miller, Ewing/Smits, & Spike Lee) and Knicks/Heat (VanGundy/Riley, Ewing/Mourning, etc.). The Knicks seemed to be at the center of a lot of great rivalries around the same time interval. A lot of good competition. A great time for basketball.
January 9th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Knickhopeful says:
Xman bitchslapped pippen around in those days. Next thing he is on an IBM commercial. What’s with that?