Bitter Rivals Who Will Never Wear Same NBA Uniform

We've seen a few unlikely players pair up in the past, but there are some NBA duos that are simply off limits.

Individual rivalries spark competition, not friendship. And rivals don't team up. Not under any circumstance. Rivals want to humiliate each other, not share flights home.

The following rivalries are newly established and offer zero possibility of morphing into friendships. 

Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony

Whether they cleared the air or not, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett will never line up alongside one another—except for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, which could be entertainingly weird.

When these two met in New York earlier this year, Carmelo snapped after KG's trash talk went too far. Word on the street is he mentioned something about the wifey, crossing one of those unspoken boundaries that exists on the floor.

Melo was so heated, he actually waited outside Boston's bus.

The beef might be squashed, but that doesn't mean they like each other. Nobody talks about wifey and gets a clean slate soon after.

Kevin Garnett and Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah has been outspoken about his feelings for Kevin Garnett over the years.

Most recently, he called him out for throwing "cheap shots" just a few years after saying KG was "a mean guy." He also used the word "ugly," but it's still unclear if he was referring to Garnett's face or just his general disposition.

Garnett views Noah as a threat to his throne, and Noah views Garnett as a bully. Either way, these guys don't exactly play nice when going head-to-head. They were meant to battle each other.

Zach Randolph and Kendrick Perkins

I just get the feeling that this tandem wouldn't work well together.

During last year's playoffs, Zach Randolph referred to Kendrick Perkins as "too slow." The two were tossed earlier this year after a pleasant exchange that resulted in another altercation in the hallway outside the Thunder locker room.

When asked about whether or not he can "beat his ass," Zach Randolph replied, "I'm good with these hands. I'm a jacking dude. I'm pretty good with these hands."

Two of the most physical big men in the league, they have been giving each other bruises for the past couple of years. It would be hard to imagine them sharing dinner together.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James

They might be friendly off the court, but this is the decade of LeBron James versus Kevin Durant.

The "best player in the NBA" debate is going on in every gym class, cafeteria, dentist office and Internet forum. These guys are rivals whether they like it or not.

Over the years, we've seen superstars pair up, but if Kevin Durant and LeBron James ever join forces, I'm officially selling my NBA season tickets and subscribing to the World Series of Darts.

Serge Ibaka and Stephen Jackson

Following a game between the Spurs and the Thunder, Stephen Jackson went to Twitter to express his gentile emotions:

"Somebody tell serg Abaka. He aint bout dis life. Next time he run up on me im goin in his mouth. That's a promise. He doin 2 much."

I'm not really sure what he meant by "goin in his mouth," but I'm not so sure I agree with it.

What I am sure of is that Serge Ibaka and Stephen Jackson on the same team would make for an unsafe working environment for all. These guys are much better suited as rivals than teammates.

Steve Novak and Nate Robinson

Steve Novak looks more like Nate Robinson's substitute teacher than his rival.

That's right—rival. We're going there. The NBA needs this. I need this.

After nailing a couple of shots against the Knicks at the Garden, Nate mocked Novak with his "Discount Double Check" belt celebration.

My man "Novakaine" retaliated with a smooth response, passively wishing "Little Nathan" luck with his dreams of becoming the next Steve Novak when he grows up.

Nathan soon gave Novak a shout-out on NBAtv, calling him his "favorite player in the whole wide world."

Let's pretend these guys can't exist in the same locker room.

Even if they could, there's still little chance they'd ever play together. There's just no way James Dolan would ever sign Nate Robinson again, reminding himself of the horror that played out during Isiah Thomas' reign of terror.

What am I saying? Of course he would.