Who was our biggest rival of the Duncan era (POLL)

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Pick and/or explain in the comments

[Aremid]

Kobe. 2-4 against lakers in Duncan Kobe playoff era (not including last year when he was injured).

[rascal]

Spurs vs Lakers have the longer history

[Jimcs50]

Lakers have best all time winning percentage and Spurs are about 1% behind. Two best franchises as far as winning consistency ever.

[Sixth Street]

In the Duncan era the Spurs and Lakers have represented the West in the Finals 12 times and won 9 titles.

The Lakers are clearly the biggest rival to Duncan's Spurs.

[JohnRambo]

David Stern

[RD2191]

David Stern

[SnakeBoy]

If based on fan reaction it would have to be the media.

:cry they never respect us :cry

[Malik Hairston]

The Mavs, tbh..much more interesting matchups, geographical reasons, and both teams have had impressive longevity..

The 2006 Mavs-Spurs series was the best overall series of the 2000s, and easily the most underrated, too..I was more nervous while watching that game 7 than any other time as an NBA fan..

[Skull-1]

David Stern

[3 Legged Dog]

David Stern

BINGO!

[xmas1997]

I finally settled on the Mavs, but it was close.
There should have been a category of both Mavs and Lakers.

[CGD]

Biggest rival was the Lakers bc of the title implications. Most entertaining rivalry was with the Mavs.

[32fastest]

Obviously the lakers. If it wasn't for them who knows how many ring we'd have. Those Spurs teams were so talented and the East was even more of a joke than it is now.

[DarrinS]

Lakers

[spurs10]

In the Duncan era the Spurs and Lakers have represented the West in the Finals 12 times and won 9 titles.

The Lakers are clearly the biggest rival to Duncan's Spurs. Soon to be 10.

[hsxvvd]

Shaq's Lakers, not Kobe's.

Heat could be a valid option if we face them twice in the finals... heck it could be three by the end of next season!

[Horry Hipcheck]

Lakers over the Mavs, because for a while the Lakers and Spurs were the only West teams winning titles. Spurs in 1999, Lakers 00-02, Spurs in 03, Lakers went to the Finals in 04, Spurs in 05, Spurs in 07, Lakers in the Finals in 08, Lakers in 09, Lakers in 10, and then they fell off the map. Spurs-Mavs has been heated but they only played each other once en route to one winning a title (03). Suns and Mavs combined might have been a challenge to the Lakers as a rival (03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10) but the 2000s were marked by competing dynasty eras from SA and LA almost exclusively.

[J.T.]

It's the Lakers, only because when we played them it was usually the winner that went onto the Finals. The rivalry with Dallas is pretty good too but the Lakers stopped us from returning to the Finals twice, while the Mavs only did it once. Plus Spurs vs Lakers always had the Phil vs Pop element too. The Mavs just gave us bad matchups. A high school girl's JV coach could have exploited those matchups just as well as Avery Johnson or Rick Carlisle.

[Beaverfuzz]

Vancouver Grizzlies (not Memphis).

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Lakers have best all time winning percentage and Spurs are about 1% behind. Two best franchises as far as winning consistency ever.

[BillMc]

Lakers of the early part of last decade. From 99 to 2004 we faced them 5 times in 6 years in the playoffs. During that span we won 2 titles, they 3. The rivalry continued after that but it wasn't the same. Lakers were down, we won 2 more. Then the Pau trade happened, and Lakers went to 3 finals while we were rebuilding. Now, we're up again, and they down. The clashes in 2008 and 2013 were fun, but nothing like those 6 years from 99 to 2004.

Mavs are very distant second.

[PÒÓCH]

David Stern

[rayray2k8]

Rival has to be Dallas. Nemesis would be the Lakers

[SpurSwag]

I've gotta say dallas, also because of the off the court stuff. Both off the same highway, the hatred for cuban, etc. I definitely have always hated the lakers more though

[ThePop]

OKC Thunder shouldn't even be on there. It's only 3 teams: Lakers, Mavs, Suns.

[Harry Callahan]

They were good from 1997 to 2010 (with a 2 year drought) which is longest period of contention with SA.

[TE]

Lakers tbh.

[dav4463]

jazz

[IrisHockey]

:lol yeah, David Stern really fucked you guys up so bad you had 3.5 championships.

[sexinthatsx]

1. David Stern
2. Lakers (luckthefakersluckthefakersluckthefakersluckthefak ersluckthefakers)











3. Dalls Mavs
4. OKC
5. Phoenix Suns