What is your definition of a true rivalry?

[Dirk Nowitzki]

Is it when both teams have proven they have beaten each other (Spurs/Mavs Lakers/Spurs)?

Is it just 1 team hating the other but it was one sided the whole time? (Kings/Lakers)

Discuss.....

[ca®lo]

yeah like your team (a championship)

[Kamnik]

Spurs biggest rivals changed in the last years...

From Lakers to Dallas...

But now Suns-Spurs games should be crazy as i think both teams hate each others guts.
(Suns hate Spurs because they have their EMO feelings hurt and Spurs hate Suns because they are whining little bitches)

I dont see any bigger rivalry than that in the NBA right now...

[SpursIndonesia]

If two teams keep on facing each other, going back & forth with some sort of parity of success between them. Lakers vs Celtics in 80's, Spurs & Lakers in late 90's to early new millenia, Spurs vs Jazz of mid to late 90's.

[TwelveGs210]

when wacko owners have to lobby to refs and media publically to help his teams cause (cuban) take shots at city landmarks (cuban) offer a million dollars to throw a ball @ bowens face (cuban) and a city crying about bloody noses and enforcement of punishment as the SOLE reason for losing a series (entire city of PHX) makes a good rivalry in my book..

[TDMVPDPOY]

spurs suns is not a rivalry when they cant beat us at there own game or even a series...they havnt proven shit to any of the texan teams atm

[SAGambler]

I think the biggest rivalry this year will be between the Spurs/Mavs/Rockets, with each fighting for supremacy of the Texas Triangle.

While Phoenix may have it in for the Spurs, I think that is more jealousy than anything. They know they can't win a series with the Spurs, and where is the rivalry if you know you are beaten going in?

[urunobili]

Rivalry is also related to location not only history... i think the Mavs are the biggest one and the Rox as well... as for the Lakers... yeah... but as D-rob said in the 2003 championship video... we shut the door on their faces and for good... so they're no longer a rivalry not even after 0.4..
Suns... it's more of something they're trying to do to get on our minds vs/ the real stuff.... they have to defeat us at our own game playing halfcourt and gr8 D... till then... no rivalry my friend

[TDMVPDPOY]

is it possible for the trio of rockets, spurs, mavs to win 60 games in the same season, this season particular?

[samikeyp]

I think its this one...


Is it when both teams have proven they have beaten each other (Spurs/Mavs Lakers/Spurs)?

A rivalry should not be one-sided all the time.

[ShoogarBear]

So then is UT/A&M a rivalry?

[easjer]

I think two teams who have had spectaculargames against each other, that forms a rivalry on both sides.

I think location has a lot to do with rivalry, sometimes more than winning does, because there is outside competition that feeds into it (and hence why there is so much weak city smack). I know I always felt rivalry with Houston, even though they were terrible for several years. It dated back to when they beat us, but also just that it was another city in Texas that San Antonio competes against for prominence and economy.

I think rivalries certainly can be one-sided, but they are only real to the one-side (but oh, how they are hated and reviled!). The other side doesn't see it that way and just laughs, which only makes it worse. Sometimes location plays into one-sided rivalries, particularly when one side is really bad.

But I guess the definition for me personally, is that a rivalry exists when you care more about the outcome of the game/series against a particular team for bragging rights more than any other thing (standing, status, record). There is something more than just hoping your team does well. The other team rouses passion in you, and makes you more likely to be aggressive about your fandom. Rivalry exists when you have a personal stake in the outcome because of something other than wanting your team to succeed.

[picnroll]

Teams that are legitimate/likely contenders for a title that year are rivals. That would make the current list for the Spurs, Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, Houston, Detroit and Boston to varying degrees.

[samikeyp]

So then is UT/A&M a rivalry?

Yes. Historically UT has the series but since 1980 A&M leads 14-13. It goes in cycles.

[41times]

is it possible for the trio of rockets, spurs, mavs to win 60 games in the same season, this season particular?

Not only is it possible, but if the Rockets stay Healthy i think it might be likely.

I could see all 3 teams winning 60-62 games.


And for there to be a true Rivalry, each team has to beat the other team in an important game(s). For instance, i don't think the Mavs were the Spurs rival until the Mavs finally beat them in the playoffs a few years ago. Now they are very much Rivals. Same for the Suns. If the Suns were to ever beat the Spurs in the playoffs then they would become Rivals like they have for the Mavs.