It was mean spirited back in the '80's. It went over the top in '84 when McHale clotheslined Rambis. That put the rivalry on shaky & bitter ground. Rambis responded in kind, but, that hurt us because we lost our focus and we're beaten decisively in Game 7. Over the off-season instead of stoking the flames of hate and revenge, or retreating to the happy hunting ground of Wilt & West, Magic went to work and dedicated himself to exploiting our superior talent instead of fighting them house-to-house. That strategy also set the tone for the rest of ''80's "rivalry" period. Magic seduced Bird into an Ali/Frazier relationship for the betterment of the league. And it looked genuine on Magic's part. I think Bird went along with it because it had degenerated to the point that a real tragic situation could have evolved if left unattended, or, further stoked, but, Bird did it as a duty, he was compelled from within and probably from NYC.
We were better than the Celtics before we proved it. We weren't better than the Kings until after we vanquished them.