The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors delivered a classic game on Christmas, showcasing a rivalry that Cavaliers coach Tyrone Lue said could be on par with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics of the 80s. They're even considered the best rivalry American Professional currently has.
Lue told ESPN that, though both teams have yet to reach the level of championship games the Lakers and the Celtics played, if they stay together and continue to win, "it could be like that." He adds that the Warriors and the Cavaliers are both great teams and people would usually talk about them when it comes to basketball.
The Cavaliers came from 14-points down and defeated the Warriors 109-108 in a Christmas day finals rematch thanks to a turnaround jumper from Kyrie Irving. A shot that brought back memories of his three-pointer that broke a tie in game 7 of the finals, and completed the Cavaliers comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Championship last June.
If both teams continue to play at high-level it won't be far-fetched to see them facing each other again in the NBA Finals for the third straight year. An achievement even the Lakers and the Celtics weren't able to do during their heated rivalry in the 80s.
SB Nation even said that the rivalry of the Warriors and the Cavaliers could even be considered as the best rivalry American Professional sports currently have. The two teams have a history of beef against each other, they have great stars that people love and hate, and they're both great teams that are contenders to win the NBA Championship.
But aside from that, no other rivalry in other American sports warrants the same kind of excitement when this two teams meet. The NFL has great rivalries, but the league's parity doesn't provide the fans with the kind of "must watch this game" feeling because of their intense history against each other to be considered the best rivalry.
The MLB looks like it's offering something with the Blue Jays and Orioles, but they're not there yet. The NHL and MLS, though great leagues and probably has great rivalries as well, don't attract the kind of national attention that the football, baseball, and basketball get.
So this leaves the Warriors and the Cavaliers to provide the joy and excitement of watching two evenly matched great gladiators going at it. The rivalry may not last forever, considering how quickly teams can get stronger or weaker or how great players have a tendency to create super teams. But it's a rivalry that's worth watching and worth enjoying while it lasts.
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