Rivalries are at the heart of NBA lore. Lakers vs. Celtics, Jordan's Bulls vs. Bad Boy Pistons, 1990's Knicks vs. Heat, Wilt vs. Russell, Magic vs. Bird, the list goes on and on.
Note that none of these great rivalries are modern. The league tried to make a LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry matchup happen — they met in the Finals four years in a row — but there was no real bitter rivalry between the two, just a show of respect. is. What happened to all the rivalries? JJ Reddick hosts Devin Booker on 'The Old Man and the Three' Podcast And Booker had an answer for that (hat tip clutch point).
“I don't think there's a real rivalry because of grassroots basketball. A lot of them we've known for a really long time, so people realize half the time it's not that deep. I think people always say they're not really trying to fight on the court, but they're not really trying to do that. It's a $500,000 match and no one should do that. No. I don't hear many stories about crazy lines being crossed on the court, but it does happen and I've seen people behind the scenes handle it the right way. I did.”
Bird and Magic were not like that.
We met and spent time together after they entered the NBA until they made a commercial together. Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan did not play together or against each other in youth hoops. There was room for some hostility to develop.
Players today view the league as a kind of fraternity. Although we hit each other hard on the court, there is a sense of camaraderie and a general respect for other players. Players around the league understand how much effort it takes just to get to this level, let alone stay there. More than that, no one wants to hurt another man and put his life at risk. That karma is ugly. Not everyone gets along with everyone – there are *******s in the league – but it's essentially just being aware of other players and their paths.
That hasn't changed. That doesn't mean men are soft, it's just how things are.
