The 7 Weakest NBA Rivalries
Historically, the NBA has been laden with rivalries, many of which are alive and well. Others, though, not so much.
To this day, everyone continues to enjoy Lakers and Celtics matchups, Heat and Knicks contests and a Spurs and Mavericks battle.
But what about the others that haven't seen prominence in, perhaps, decades?
Those are the rivalries that have become less than relevant and can only be described as lifeless.
Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings
1 of 7After meeting in the postseason for three consecutive years between 2000-2002, the Lakers and Kings rivalry took off. Currently though, it's just off.
Sacramento began to fade shortly after their third consecutive playoff matchup against Los Angeles, while the Lakers have gone on to become the NBA's flagship team.
We can easily attribute the rivalry's short shelf-life to the Kings' demise, but the fact is that the Lakers continue to have eyes for the rebuilding Suns.
For whatever reason, this rivalry has stalled, and has shown no signs of starting back up.
Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers
2 of 7The rivalry between the Bulls and Cavaliers was created courtesy of Michael Jordan and Craig Ehlo, but it hasn't recaptured its original hype since the mid 1990s.
Chicago and Cleveland met in the postseason five times between 1988-1994 before embarking on a 16-year matchup absence.
While LeBron James led the Cavs past the Derrick Rose led Bulls in 2010, all hope of a timely revival vanished when the King absconded from Cleveland.
It's safe to say that this rivalry is now stale, if it even still exists at all.
Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz
3 of 7Before there was Karl Malone's Twitter account, there was the rivalry between the Jazz and Rockets.
Backed by superstar talents like Malone, John Stockton and Hakeem Olajuwon, this matchup reached high-profile status in the 1990s. During that span, Houston and Utah met in the postseason four times, with each side prevailing in two series a piece.
Despite meeting in the playoffs in 2007 and 2008, it became clear that this rivalry ended its run in 1998.
Both clubs have been poster-teams for inconsistency over the past decade, and consequently, the bitter rivalry has cooled considerably.
And don't expect a revival anytime soon.
Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons
4 of 7Remember the 1980s? Because that's when this rivalry peaked.
At its height, the Celtics-Pistons rivalry was huge. Names like Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars all participated in its eruption, as these two teams constantly met in the postseason.
Those days are gone though, as Boston and Detroit have rarely finished in identical circles since.
The last time these two met in the playoffs was 2008, and despite a relatively entertaining series, it became abundantly clear the once heated rivalry was waning.
And nothing has changed.
Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs
5 of 7The 1980s are gone, and they took the Rockets-Spurs rivalry with it.
This rivalry has long been one of the NBA's weakest. The two teams met in the postseason in 1980 and 1981, with Houston prevailing on both occasions, but it essentially died there.
Thanks to David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon, the rivalry saw a short revival, but after another Rockets postseason victory in 1995, it reverted back to uninteresting.
Division rivalries are often the most brutal, but this particular one has little to no appeal.
Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks
6 of 7The Bulls and Bucks rivalry is not much of one anymore.
While it had its moments, specifically in the 1970s, Milwaukee and Chicago are better known for their hatred toward one another in the NFL, courtesy of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
Despite playing in the same division, make no mistake that these two teams have run in separate circles since the early 1990s.
And while the pairing of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings certainly makes things interesting, the Bulls remain lightyears ahead of the Bucks in terms of relevancy.
Unless Milwaukee finds a way to catch-up to Chicago in the near future, expect this one to remain mundane.
Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers
7 of 7Watching Magic Johnson and Clyde Drexler duke it out in the early 1990s was nothing short of mesmerizing. Since then, the Blazers-Lakers rivalry has been nothing short of boring.
The rivalry saw a renaissance in 2000, when it took seven games and a fourth quarter collapse for Los Angeles to defeat Portland in the Western Conference Finals, but it was brief.
Nothing within this rivalry will compare to watching the power struggle that ensued between these two teams 20 years ago.
Nothing.
