Haha, Shaq/Kobe wasn't a team rivalry. Do you remember anything exciting happening when the Lakers played the Heat back in 2005? Me either. I was thinking more along the lines of "the stuff that happened between the Knicks and whoever they were playing that night" back in the nineties. (Stupid RileyBall.)
Sure: In 2004-2005, Shaq refered to Kobe driving to the hoop against him as a Corvette driving against a brick wall. Shaq repeated feigned ignorance of Kobe when he was asked about him.
Then in 2008, after the Lakers lost to the Celtics, Shaq waylaid Kobe with his infamous 'Tell me how my ass tastes' rap at a New York Night Club.
Then two years later, when Kobe was asked what his 5th ring meant to him personally, he said, 'I've got one more than Shaq'. Granted, by then, both were more nuanced in their rivalry, as opposed to when they were teammates.
As for rivalries. One I remember was that 2006 series when Raja Bell pulled that clotheline on Kobe in Game 5 of the WCQF and declared that Kobe was arrogant.
Or earlier, you had the whole Lakers-Kings rivalry, whose vitriol was especially legendary. Shaq had dubbed them the 'Sacramento Queens' and even made a rap about Vlade Divac after winning the championship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKhP3PnB_xM
Furthermore Kings fans to this day have alleged that there was a conspiracy between David Stern, the referees and the Laker management to prevent the Kings from reaching the finals, and with Game 6 as an especially aggregious example of poor officiating when the fact was that the Kings choked when it mattered the most; in that Game 7 Mike Bibby was the only guy who could hit big shots for them and when the Lakers covered him everyone else couldn't hit shots.
Rick Fox and Doug Christie also got into a fight in the tunnels after both had been ejected during the 2003 preseason. Christie was always a chicken-shit who talked big but then choked when it mattered the most.
Again, take into account that much of this is part of my pro-Laker bias.
You also had that Indiana-Detroit rivalry of the mid-2000s, which unfortunately culminated in the Malice at the Palace where Ron Artest literally duked it out with drunk Detroit fans with known criminal records, (or as he is now known nowadays, as Metta World Peace).
There was also that Spurs and Suns hatefest in the mid 2000s, with Robert Horry (oh Robert, why did you miss in Game 5 of 2003 WCSF?) putting that cheap shot on Steve Nash which Phoenix claimed prevented them from advancing to the finals in 2007. Or when Bruce Bowen kneed Nash in the crotch as well. Then again, Bruce Bowen was infamous for his cheap, dirty tactics when playing defense, like when he literally kicked Wally Sczerbiak in the face as he jumped to contest a shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edb6bz_C9ms
As for the Knicks of the 90s, all I've got to say about them was that they set back the NBA for years.
To respond to hcallega: I can respect Celtics fans who can analyze things in a rational members, unlike the unapologetically biased Bill Simmons (whose basically the Celtics' Minister of Propaganda) or worse the ESPN message boards that attract the most ignorant, trollish types. I guess the only LA equivalent would be JA Adande or the Kamenetsky brothers from ESPNLA but they can more nuanced.
As for Bias, I agree that he could have been an All-Star player, but by no means would he be at the same level as Jordan. The post I'd made earlier was based on the assumption that he did develop into an all-time great. I don't think that Bird plays until the mid-90s though. He'd be in his late 30s by then, but I think when he does retire in the early 90s he wouldn't have the same chronic back problems and he'd be a far healthier individual. Then again, Parish chugged along until 97, so who knows for sure.
One last thing: In 2008, admit that Paul Pierce faked his injury in Game 1. I mean, he collapses to the floor in what seems to be extreme agony and is then carted off in a wheelchair, and then only 3 minutes later he's completely fine and moving without a limp?
