Sports

Top 30 Infamous Sports Rivalries

Joe Burgett - January 21, 2023
Sports

Top 30 Infamous Sports Rivalries

Joe Burgett - January 21, 2023

Rivalries are common in sports. It is obvious that a particular opponent will be tougher than most and regardless of the outcome, you know it is truly on when you go up against them. The greatest rivalries in sports are the ones that make us feel that we have to tune in to see what happens.

Sometimes it’s regarding two teams. Regardless of their record at the time, they will play their rivals a bit harder than most they face all year. Some rivalries are as old as the leagues themselves while others involved two gladiators in particular. This could involve people in the world of tennis where it’s always one on one or two on two. Yet single rivals are also common in sports like football and basketball too.

When a career is shaped by the rival(s) they face, you know they truly made an impact. In this article, we’re going to be bringing up the 30 best rivalries in sports history. We took some from all the major sports around the world and we feel you’ll agree these are the top ones of them all. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Chicago Tonight – WTTW

30. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

One of the best rivalries in sports history happens to come out of the NFL and it’s one of the oldest in the sport of football. While both teams may not always be great each year, they both shape out how the season will go for the other. The Packers and Bears both play in the NFL’s NFC North Division. This means they’ll play each other a few times a year and affect the other when it comes to a playoff birth.

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Both the Bears and Packers have been to the Super Bowl and won but it’s the Packers who lead in that category with 4 total Super Bowl Titles. As of this writing, the teams have squared off 198 times. The Bears won their last match-up but the Packers currently lead the series all-time with a record of 97–95–6.

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

29. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers are two major rivals in the sport of hockey. Dubbed “The Battle of Pennsylvania,” the two have been bitter rivals for decades. They first began playing each other in the late 1960s, yet the real blood feud seemed to start in the 1990s, however, due to the stars of the day.

Photo Credit: Puck Prose

The Penguins had an amazing trio of Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, and Mario Lemieux that battled the Flyers’ Eric Lindros, Mark Recchi, and Eric Desjardin. Since 2008, they have truly been on each other’s bad side as they have met 4 different times in the playoffs and sent the other home. Currently, the Flyers lead the All-Time series with a record of 180–123–30 in their favor on the complete 333 meetings.

Martina Navratilova Has Faced Controversy and New Careers Since Tennis Days
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28. Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were two of the best female tennis stars to ever live and they BOTH played at the same time in their primes. This led to meetings between the two where they took the other to the limit. During the 1970s and 1980s, few better rivals could be seen that lived up to the hype like Evert/Navratilova. The reason for their rivalry was likely due to where they met up. Heck, the two faced off in 14 Grand Slam Finals!! Navratilova having won 10 of those, but the rivalry was still huge.

Photo Credit: The New York Times

This led to the two facing off 80 times in their careers. Evert dominated early but then Navratilova ended up getting better and better to capture the all-time series with a record of 43-37. They were complete opposites on the court and this led to some of the most amazing matches in the history of the sport. The two could be thanked for helping to elevate women’s tennis to the height it is today.

Photo Credit: Sky News

27. Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

Mike Tyson & Evander Holyfield are two of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history. Both shattered PPV numbers in the 1990s and won several championships. The two first fought back in 1984 when Holyfield defeated Tyson on the amateur circuit to make the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. This team actually went on to win a record 9 Gold Medals. Both remained impressive as pros too.

Photo Credit: NJ.com

Tyson and Holyfield would fight everyone in their way, knocking out most that dared step into the ring with them. Yet everyone wondered when they’d finally square off as professionals. They’d finally clash in 1996 with Holyfield defeating the Iron one. It was their rematch that made the history books, however, when a ticked off Tyson decided to bite off part of Holyfield’s ear. Tyson could never beat Holyfield in his career, with his only two losses coming from Evander.

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26. Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee 

Spike Lee is a notable New York Knicks fan and was at nearly all of their games back in the 90s and 2000s. Yet there was one team that Spike hated to see on the schedule, the Indiana Pacers. This was due to their star player, Reggie Miller. The 3-point specialist was a known trash talker around the league. Known as “The Knick Killer” Reggie put up huge numbers against the Knicks every time.

Photo Credit: Ballislife.com

Spike did not like how Reggie trash-talked his beloved Knicks nor his demeanor on the court. When Miller found out about this, he then trash-talked Lee in the stands during games. The rivalry came to its biggest climax in 1995 during a playoff series in which the Knicks had a 6-point lead. Miller went on to score 8 points in the final 18.7 seconds to secure a Game 1 victory for Indiana. Lee had to watch helplessly as his Knicks blew their lead to his rival.

Photo Credit: Chat Sports

25. Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox

The two Chicago teams have faced off now 121 times but they did not begin this until the summer of 1997. This is likely due to the fact that the White Sox and Cubs not being in the same conference. The Cubs are part of the National League while the White Sox are part of the American League. Both have been playing in Chicago for more than a century, so it’s quite shocking they have only been playing the other since the late 90s.

Photo Credit: ABC Chicago

The North Siders vs South Siders rivalry is certainly true. Even if they did not play the other for decades, the rivalry was always there between the two. Some of the greatest rivalries in sports have to do with proximity and since both play so close, this was always bound to start a rivalry. For some time, no one knew who the true best team was, then we finally saw a series begin. Currently, the White Sox lead the all-time series with a record of 61-59 as of this writing.

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

24. Notre Dame vs. USC

While it may be odd, Notre Dame and USC have been rivals for nearly a century now. The two first faced off back in 1926 and have since produced 14 Heisman winners and 22 National Championships between them. Some of the greatest college players in history played in this rivalry and it has gotten insanely bitter. Since this is a college football rivalry, the two play for something known as The Jeweled Shillelagh.

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USC has no real love for it but knew Notre Dame did and wanted to make their mark on it just to spite the Irish. While USC has had some good seasons over the year, Notre Dame has been the most dominant of the two sides. Out of their 90 meetings thus far, Notre Dame leads the series with a record of 48–37-5 in their favor. USC’s greatness in the 2000s has brought things closer, however.

Photo Credit: The Independent

23. Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson

Tiger Woods hit the ground running when he first jumped into the world of golf. However, a certain lefty eventually made his way through to challenge Tiger’s greatness. Woods was obviously deadly in the late 90s and early 2000s. He won the Master’s Tournament 4 times in that span as well as the PGA Championship 4 times. This even included 3 wins for both the U.S Open & The Open Championship respectively. However, when Tiger fell off, Phil picked things up.

Photo Credit: SportTechie

They traded Master’s Tournament wins and Phil would go on to win 5 U.S. Open Championships. The two battled it out during Tiger’s prime and still are today. Tiger leads all-time in Majors, but Phil often finishes higher than Tiger in more tournaments. It is the new golf rivalry that keeps on giving. Though the two have huge respect for one another, when they’re on any golf course together, they bring the other up a notch. Their back and forth has made this one of the best rivalries in sports today.

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22. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins rivalry is one of the most well-known rivalries in sports. They play a few times a year typically but were most known for playing on Thanksgiving each year for a long period of time. Their rivalry officially started in October of 1960, the same year Dallas was added to the NFL as an expansion team. They are part of the same division in the NFC, resulting in their match-ups being massively important throughout the year.

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The rivalry has produced some incredible games over the years and involved some impressive teams. This has helped to make this one of the best rivalries in sports today. The two have 32 combined division titles and 8 combined Super Bowl Championships. As it stands now, the two sides have played 118 times with the Cowboys having the all-time lead at a record of 71–45–2. However, the two times they squared off in the playoffs, Washington came out victorious.

Photo Credit: Chat Sports

21. San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Despite both being in California today, they originally started in the late 1800s in New York together. The Dodgers played in Brooklyn while the Giants played in the Manhattan area. After 1957, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley moved his team to California and eventually convinced Giants owner Horace Stoneham to do the same. Due to San Fran and LA being competitors in Cali naturally, it just made the rivalry as big as ever when they both hit the West Coast.

Photo Credit: East Bay Times

They have squared off right at 2,500 times with their first game taking place in May of 1890. The Dodgers & Giants are tired for the most National League Pennants at 23 while the Dodgers have won the NL West 14 times compared to San Fran’s 8. Yet the Giants are the all-time leader in their rivalry with a record of 1,254-1,229-17. They also have more World Series Championships than the Dodgers. Although, Los Angeles has won the last 3 times they met.

Photo Credit: Second City Hockey

20. Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings

The most bitter and bloody rivalry in all of the NHL has to be the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. The two sides do not like each other and make that known every time they play. The rivalry was quite different before the league was realigned in the 2013-2014 season. They were both a part of the Central Division before this and thus, could cost the other huge playoff birth potential. Their first game happened in November of 1926, the inaugural season for both teams.

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They have since played each other 818 times. Detroit leads the all-time series with a record of 406–314–84–14. The rivalry likely became so bitter due to the two squaring off in the playoffs. They have played in the Conference Semifinals, Division Finals, Quarterfinals, and of course the Stanley Cup Finals itself. Chicago has the all-time lead here with 43 wins to Detroit’s 38.

Photo Credit: USA Today’s FTW

19. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors

The two teams at one point met in the NBA Finals 4 straight years from 2015 to 2018. The rivalry switched up often with people being hurt, suspended, added, etc. The LeBron James-led Cavs at one point took on the Steph Curry-led Warriors. Back in 2015, they’d make it into the NBA Finals with everyone healthy but Kevin Love was injured for the Cavs in the last series while Kyrie Irving was hurt soon into the finals.

Photo Credit: FanSided

The Warriors won the title that year and went on to have a record-setting regular season. During the 2016 NBA Finals, however, the Cavs were healthy and managed to beat the Warriors in 7 games to secure the Cavs only NBA Championship. Kevin Durant then joined the Warriors the following seasons and put them over the top, ending any competitive advantage. The Warriors lead the Finals rivalry 3-1.

Photo Credit: Chat Sports

18. Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell

No matter where Wilt played, he versus Bill Russell was THE match-up to watch in the early days of the NBA. They also could not be more different from one another. Bill was known for being a defensive nightmare who was tough to score on. Meanwhile, Wilt was known for being one of the best scorers in the history of the league. It was so fun to see which would win out. Most of the time, however, Russell came out the victor.

Photo Credit: FanSided

For years Wilt and Bill met up in the Eastern Conference Finals or Semis when Chamberlain played for the 76ers. Bill put him down all but once. Upon his move to Los Angeles, Wilt met Bill in the NBA Finals quite often. Bill had to go through Wilt every time and won 11 NBA Titles in the process while Wilt had to overcome the powerful Celtics. Chamberlain went to several NBA Finals but finally beat Russell when it counted most.

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17. Florida State vs. Miami

For some time, the rivalry for Florida State was with the Florida Gators. Yet their true rivals always had to be considered the Miami Hurricanes mostly due to the conference affiliation. The Gators play in the SEC while FSU and Miami play in the ACC. It means more when losing to your rival could cost you a post-season birth or conference title chance. FSU vs Miami first happened back in October of 1951 and has been going strong ever since.

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They have now met a total of 63 times and have been some of the most fun rivals to watch in college football history. Kicks are pretty important to this game. Kickers have missed big ones to the left and right, even seeing some of them blocked. National Title implications have been on the line in this game too. Miami currently has the lead in the series with a record of 33-30 all-time. That makes it among the closest rivalries in sports today.

Photo Credit: Tennis World USA

16. John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg

You could not find two people more different from the other than John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. McEnroe never shut up on the court while Borg barely spoke at all. When they finally met up on the tennis court, it was glorious to see how it turned out. Due to the contrast in personalities being so great, the rivalry was eventually described as “Fire & Ice.” Despite being such a historic tennis rivalry, it only occurred for about 3 years from 1978-1981.

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The pair met up 14 times on the regular tour, with 4 of those occurring in Major Championship matches! While McEnroe won 3 out of 4 of the major matches, the duo has split the series. Each has 7 wins over the other. Every time the two were set to face off on the court, it was must-see TV. Thus making this one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.

Photo Credit: NBA.com

15. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are connected historically to their NBA teams. However, their rivalry began before either was drafted into the league. They met in the NCAA Championship game in 1979 when Bird went into the game as College Player of the Year yet lost to Magic and the Michigan State squad. Upon their arrival to the NBA, they’d become bitter enemies. From 1980 to 1987, the two were back and forth in title games.

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The Lakers won the NBA Title in 1980 and the Celtics won in 1981. The Lakers won another in 1982, then the two sides finally faced off in the Finals in 1984 where the Celtics won. In 1985 the two met up AGAIN in the NBA Finals, this time with the Lakers walking out champions. In 1986, the two sides met again with the Celtics winning. Then by 1987, they met up once more in the Finals with the Lakers winning. It led to hatred of the two teams on both sides with Magic and Bird being at the center of all of the competitive fire.

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

14. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Steelers and Ravens have been huge AFC Rivals for years. When the Colts left the city of Baltimore, the NFL allowed an expansion team to arrive in the city to take its spot, giving us the Ravens. They have been in place since 1996 and arrived to be part of the AFC North Division, the same division the Steelers have been in for quite some time now. This had led to some absolutely tremendous games.

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Every time they face off, doing so twice a year, it’s must-watch. They don’t hold back at all and want to destroy their division rival. The Ravens have won the AFC Conference Title twice while the Steelers have won it 3 times. They both have two Super Bowl wins since the rivalry began too. Though the Steelers have them beat with 11 Division titles to the Ravens’ 4. Despite this, the rivalry is still close. Out of 50 meetings, the Steelers lead the series with a slightly small record of 28-22 all-time.

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13. Arnold Palmer vs. Jack Nicklaus

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus could not have been more different even if they tried. Like other rivals before them, their personalities were the backbone of why the rivalry was so fun. Palmer was the cool every man who had crowds watching and cheering for him to succeed. Jack was a country club playing rich boy who people loved to hate but secretly loved. They both were massive successes on the golf course.

Photo Credit: GOLF.com

They traded major wins over the years throughout the 60s and 70s. From 1960 to 1966, Palmer or Nicklaus won the Masters Tournament. This truly put their rivalry on the map but they both went on to win several majors outside of this. Jack has the most all-time while Palmer is only slightly behind him. Whenever they played in the same tournament, it was on and one of the best rivalries in sports that was always must-see.

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12. Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier are both vocal trash-talkers but this was never bigger than when they were about to fight the other. Their rivalry stems from Jones’ drug failures essentially. When they first fought back in 2015, Jones beat DC unquestionably. Yet it was quickly found that Jones technically failed a drug test when cocaine showed up in his bloodwork. Not considered illegal, the fight was kept on the record books. However, in connection to a hit-and-run incident, UFC stripped Jones of his UFC Title.

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

The two fought again later on and yet again, Jones came out the victor. Yet he failed a drug test once again, this time for a banned substance and the fight loss was removed from DC’s record and his lost UFC Lightheavyweight Title returned. The two were going to fight again but another failed test by Jones killed that opportunity. DC believes he is the better fighter even still, which is hard to argue. However, Jones claims that isn’t factual when he has two technical wins over DC with 1 counting. It is still the only loss DC has ever suffered in his MMA career.

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11. Ohio State vs. Michigan 

Ohio State and Michigan have been at it for years in college sports but their rivalry seems to be the deepest in the world of football. Both sides have won their fair share of National Championships. Yet both impact the other so much due to playing in the same conference. They always play late into the season, meaning a loss suffered to the other could result in post-season ramifications. The two sides have met 115 times on the gridiron thus far.

Photo Credit: Cleveland.com

Their first meeting happened way back in October of 1897! This makes it one of the oldest rivalries in sports still going on today. Ohio State is on a current 7-year win streak since 2012. However, Michigan actually has the most wins in the rivalry. The Wolverines currently have a record of 58–50-6 all-time against the Buckeyes.

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

10. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the two greatest male tennis stars of the day. Most would call them the best in history, to be honest. Nadal has 18 Grand Slams, second-most for a male player and Federer has 20, the most for a male player. Roger dominates at Wimbledon, having won 8 times there, the most in the history of the tournament. Meanwhile, Raf dominates at the French Open, having won this tournament 12 times.

Photo Credit: Wimbledon

Nadal and Federer have played each other 39 times in their career. Nadal leads the series 24-15 all-time. 13 of these matches occurred in Grand Slams, with Nadal leading 10-3 here. Nadal naturally destroys at the French Open, so he has beaten Roger 6 times there. Meanwhile, Roger is 2-1 against Nadal at Wimbledon. When we talk rivalries in sports, it’s tough to overlook the rivalry between the two greatest tennis stars in history.

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9. Texas vs. Oklahoma

The Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma Sooners rivalry is one of the greatest rivalries in sports today. Known as the Red River Showdown, the two have gone at it on the gridiron since October of 1900. Their rivalry stems from a few different issues. First and foremost, they have been part of the same conference for quite a while. This pretty much ensures one will be out of the Conference Title and/or National Title picture if they lose.

Photo Credit: Dallas Morning News

Next and likely the most prominent reason, the closeness of the people. Oklahoma and Texas share a border, often with the border taking place at the Red River between the states. Hence the name of the rivalry. This is often why the Governors of each state make a wager on the game and share a trophy, given to the winning state/school They have played each other 114 times as of this writing with Texas leading the rivalry with a record of 62–47–5 all-time.

Photo Credit: Broncos Wire – USA Today

8. Mannings vs. Tom Brady

Known by many as an unspoken rivalry, there has been an issue between Tom Brady and both Peyton & Eli Manning for years. It is not considered to be as fierce a rivalry as others but it’s still one of the best rivalries in sports that we can think of. The issue stems from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots consistently putting down the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning’s first NFL team.

Photo Credit: Patriots Wire – USA Today

Peyton and Brady faced off against each other 14 times in their career. Brady won 10 out of those 14, including some in the playoffs. While Manning did get by Brady a few times as a member of the Colts and Broncos, it was rare. Meanwhile, Eli has actually been quite successful against the Patriots. They faced off in two different Super Bowls with Eli winning both times. Although in the regular season when they have faced off, the Patriots often came out on top.

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7. Michael Jordan vs. ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons

The Detroit Pistons were deadly in the late 1980s. Once Boston went down from their dominance in the EAST, Detroit stepped up big time and did not mind literally smashing through people to win their titles. Due to their physical play, they were given the moniker of “The Bad Boy Pistons.” Led by Isiah Thomas, the team went up against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls several times in that 80s period.

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

They beat MJ up every time, nearly breaking the young Jordan. Doing it mostly alone, MJ put up a lot of points but could never get past the Pistons. Once Scottie Pippen came to the team, they were able to do a bit better and eventually got over the hump and dominated the entire 1990s era. Despite this, the rivalry was heated between MJ & the Pistons with fights breaking out as well as people walking out bloody in several of the games.

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6. Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo

Their biggest rivalry in soccer came when Cristiano Ronaldo ended up to Real Madrid when he moved from Manchester United. This was at the same time that Lionel Messi was rising up within the FC Barcelona system. Both men have been the two best soccer players on the planet and led their clubs to major victories.

Photo Credit: The Real Champs

Messi has led Barcelona to 10 La Liga & 4 Champions League Titles. Ronaldo has led Real Madrid to 4 Champions League & 2 La Liga Titles. He was also part of helping Man U win 3 Premier League titles. However, he played for Real around 5 years after Messi rose up with Barcelona. They have both been UEFA MVPs and FIFA World Player of the Year too. Ultimately, it is hard to know who the true best is. It’s one of the best rivalries in sports today!

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5. Duke vs. North Carolina

The Duke/North Carolina feud dates back to their first game in January of 1920. Both Duke and North Carolina are in the same state, so the students and fans often mingle amongst each other. Their college basketball rivalry is among the most storied in the sport of basketball and among the best rivalries in sports for a particular reason. Both are now and have often been successful. It may not be as heated or as big if they were just okay at basketball.

Photo Credit: The North State Journal

Both Duke and North Carolina have several National Titles and have sent some of the greatest players in history to the NBA. The two sides have now met 251 times as of this writing. Currently, North Carolina leads the rivalry with a record of 139 – 112 all-time against Duke. Truly, it is hard to find a better college basketball rivalry than Duke/NC.

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4. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier

When you talk boxing, it is hard to ignore the greatness of both Joe Frazier & Muhammad Ali. Frazier and Ali truly hated each other. While there was respect, they really did not like the other. This made it one of the best rivalries in sports history because they never held back. Walking into their first fight, it was billed as “The Fight of the Century.” It truly lived up to its name, with Frazier winning after 15 rounds to defeat a then-undefeated Ali.

Photo Credit: The Sports Alley – blogger

Frazier was now the only true undefeated fighter, but Ali would get a rematch where he’d defeat Joe in a controversial decision. This led to their third fight billed as “The Thrilla in Manilla” due to the location it took place in. This was the fight in which Ali knocked out Frazier, giving him the ultimate bragging rights with not only 2 wins over Smokin’ Joe but an undisputed win by KO.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

3. Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Their rivalry began in the early days of the NBA and remained a rivalry for several years. The Boston Celtics had Bill Russell and would defeat LA several times in the NBA Finals. Once Wilt Chamberlain moved to LA, Russell/Wilt became a bigger deal. It then moved to the 1980s when it was all about Magic and Bird. By the 1990s, the Boston franchise was not as impressive but they still got things done.

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Eventually, they’d have a run-in with the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers. The Celtics would make a Big 3 with Allen, Garnett, and Pierce to become a feared team in the East. They met in the NBA Finals in 2008 with the Lakers winning and 2010 with the Celtics winning. Overall, the Lakers have 16 NBA Championships & the Celtics have 17. The question is, when will one of the best rivalries in sports come together in the Finals once more?

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

2. Alabama vs. Auburn

The Alabama Crimson Tide vs Auburn Tigers rivalry is one of the best in college sports. The two both are in the state of Alabama and both compete at a high level. The most important thing about it is that college sports are all Alabamians have. There has never really been any long-term pro teams there, so most are born into a family that is defiantly in favor of one school or the other. Known as the Iron Bowl, it has been one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.

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In fact, around 5 times this decade the winner of this game went on to compete for a National Title. They both face off in late November, where the entire post-season affected by the result. At one point, the hatred was so deep that they did not even play each other for years. This is why they have only met 55 times since their first game in 1893. Currently, Alabama leads the rivalry with a record of 46–36–1 all-time.

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1. New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox rivalry is the greatest rivalry in sports history, without question. The two have been at odds for years and are originally the people who started the New York/Boston rivalry we see throughout other sports today. It truly began back in 1901 when the two faced off the first time. However, a trade that sent Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees was believed to have cursed Boston.

Photo Credit: The Denver Post

They did not win another World Series Title for over 80 years while the Yankees went on to win dozens or appear in the World Series several times. As of this writing, they have met 2,264 times. The Yankees have a slight edge in the regular season with a record of 1,208–1,019–14 all-time. Meanwhile, in the post-season, it is even closer with the Yankees having a record of 12-11 there all-time.

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