History TheRival / Sports

** It goes back even further than 2008. They got in a few verbal confrontations during [=LeBron=]'s rookie season, and once nearly got into a fistfight in the locker room over a pre-season game prior to [=LeBron=]'ssophomore year.

* Hockey has a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hockey_League_rivalries fair share]].

* The NFL is littered with rivalries. Some date back to the league's early days while others are more recent, but they all share the same aspect of adding an extra layer of nastiness to an already physical and violent sport. Perhaps the most intense and bitter rivalries are between divisional opponents, such as: Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins, New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens.
* Major League Baseball:

** There are also others not quite as famous as Brazil-Argentina (although it depends on where you're from), but notable others include Portugal-Spain, Holland-Germany, England-Argentina and Mexico–USA.

* Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning. You could really go either way on this one. As of October 5th 2013, their regular season passer ratings are virtually identical, as well as their significantly lower playoff passer ratings. Brady holds the edge in championships and win percentage, while Peyton has more MVPs and All-Pro nods. The consensus among people that examine their entire careers is that Brady usually has a better defense, but Peyton has a better offensive supporting cast (though on occasion neither has been true). The rivalry mostly exists between the two ''teams'' that have the other player; Brady and Manning themselves have [[WorthyOpponent a great deal of respect for each other]].

* Given the straight rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne (see the RealLife subpage), it seems surprising that their AustralianRulesFootball teams averts this trope. This is due to several factors: a) Melbourne Demons only representing the square-mile downtown area of Melbourne, while Sydney Swans represents the eastern half of the Sydney metropolitan area; b) Sydney Swans were formerly South Melbourne Swans; and c) the fanbase for both teams aren't as substantial as some other teams. [[note]]Deamon fans are stereotypically considered to live downtown, which has relatively few residents (though a lot of workers), and Swan supporters are stereotypically considered as fair-weather fans.[[/note]]

** Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants, the West Coast variant and arguably even more passionate and glorious.

* Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson faced each other in the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game (still the highest-rated game in the history of televised college basketball). They both entered the NBA that year, each landing with one of the NBA's bell cow franchises (Bird with the Boston Celtics, Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers). Between 1980 and 1991, eleven of the twelve championship finals featured Bird's Celtics' (three wins) or Magic's Lakers (five wins), meeting each other three times (the Lakers's taking two of three). The Bird/Magic rivalry is often credited from saving the NBA (before Bird and Magic, the NBA finals were notorious for being shown on late-night tape delay).

** What sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is the rivalry that ''both'' teams had in the early Eighties with Dr. J and the Philadelphia 76ers, which was arguably greater than their rivalry with each other. The Lakers and Celtics didn't play each other in the NBA Finals until 1984, but all three times the Lakers made the Finals in 1980, '82, and '83 were against the Sixers, and the Eastern Conference championship was decided between the Sixers and the Celtics in 1980, '81, '82, and '85.

* Given the straight rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne (see the RealLife subpage), it seems surprising that their AustralianRulesFootball teams averts this trope. This is due to several factors: a) Melbourne Demons only representing the square-mile downtown area of Melbourne, while Sydney Swans represents the eastern half of the Sydney metropolitan area; b) Sydney Swans were formerly South Melbourne Swans; and c) the fanbase for both teams aren't as substantial as some other teams. [note]Deamon fans are stereotypically considered to live downtown, which has relatively few residents (though a lot of workers), and Swan supporters are stereotypically considered as fair-weather fans.[/note]

* The NFL is littered with rivalries. Some date back to the league's early days while others are more recent, but they all share the same aspect of adding an extra layer of nastiness to an already physical and violent sport. Perhaps the most intense and bitter rivalries are between divisional opponents, such as: Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins, and Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens.

** [[HockeyNightInCanada Don Cherry]] and European players, though he's softened in recent years.

* Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson entered the NBA at the same time, each landing with one of the NBA's bell cow franchises (Bird with the Boston Celtics, Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers). Between 1980 and 1991, eleven of the twelve championship finals featured Bird's Celtics' (three wins) or Magic's Lakers (five wins), meeting each other three times (the Lakers's taking two of three). The Bird/Magic rivalry is often credited from saving the NBA (before Bird and Magic, the NBA finals were notorious for being shown on late-night tape delay).

** New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, the most famous (and possibly most terrifying) of them all. In terms of World Series titles, it's incredibly lopsided. The Red Sox were one of the top teams in the early days of baseball, having won 5 of the first 16 World Series played (to the Yankees' 0)...and then the Yankees managed to win '''26''' before the Red Sox got their 6th, which came in the ''100th'' World Series played. (It now stands at 27-8). Even with the lengthy drought, however, the Red Sox' 8 titles stands as the fourth-most.

* The most glorious sports rivalry in the USA - Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees in Major League Baseball!

** New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, the most famous (and possibly most terrifying) of them all. In terms of World Series titles, it's incredibly lopsided, since the Yankees have 27, the most of any MLB team, while the Red Sox had an 85-year drought until 2004. Even with the 85-year drought, however, the Red Sox have the fourth-most of any franchise...with 8.

** New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, the most famous (and possibly most terrifying) of them all. In terms of World Series titles, it's incredibly lopsided, since the Yankees have 27, the most of any MLB team, while the Red Sox had an 80-year drought until 2004.

* Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning. You could really go either way on this one. As of October 5th 2013, their regular season passer ratings are virtually identical, as well as their significantly lower playoff passer ratings. Brady holds the edge in championships and win percentage, while Peyton has more MVPs and All-Pro nods. The consensus among people that examine their entire careers is that Brady usually has a better defense, but Peyton has a better offensive supporting cast (though on occasion neither has been true).

* Nearly ''30'' UsefulNotes/{{tennis}} rivalries have their own pages on {{Wikipedia}}. Just to name a few...

** It goes back even further than 2008. They got in a few verbal confrontations during LeBron's rookie season, and once nearly got into a fistfight in the locker room over a pre-season game prior to LeBron's sophomore year.
* There is arguably even less love between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal—Wikipedia has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaq–Kobe_feud its own article]] on their relationship, or lack thereof.

** Manchester United .vs. Manchester City
** Liverpool .vs. Everton
** Celtic .vs. Rangers
** Arsenal .vs. Tottenham
** Newcastle .vs. Sunderland
** Aston Villa .vs. Birmingham City
** Southampton .vs. Portsmouth
** Watford FC .vs. Luton Town- proving that it's not just the more well-known clubs who hate each other's guts.

* Soccer-wise, there's a well estabilished rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.
** There are also others not quite as famous as Brazil-Argentina (although it depends on where you're from), but notable others include Portugal-Spain, Holland-Germany and England-Argentina.

** Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants, the West Coast variant.

** Lakers-Celtics is a similar rivalry, as both are the most successful teams of the league - 17 championships for the Celtics, 16 for the Lakers, are located in opposite coasts (though it started locally, as the Lakers were in Minneapolis) and made a staggering 12 finals against each other (9-3 to the Celtics so far).

* Regarding Brazil and soccer, the local teams have [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Brazilian_football_derbies plenty]]. Most cities have 2 major teams that hate each other. Recife has 3. Rio and SaoPaulo[[hottip:*:though one is not in the city itself, but nearby Santos]] each has 4!

* Larry Bird and Ervin "Magic" Johnson entered the NBA within a year of each other, each landing with one of the NBA's bell cow franchises (Bird with the Boston Celtics, Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers). Between 1980 and 1991, eleven of the twelve championship finals featured Bird's Celtics' (three wins) or Magic's Lakers (five wins), meeting each other three times (the Lakers's taking two of three). The Bird/Magic rivalry is often credited from saving the NBA (before Bird and Magic, the NBA finals were notorious for being shown on late-night tape delay).
** Lakers-Celtics is a similar rivalry, as both are the most successful teams of the league - 17 championships for the Celtics, 16 for the Lakers, are located in opposite coasts (though it started locally, as the Lakers were in Minneapolis) and made staggering 12 finals against each other (9-3 to the Celtics so far).

* The rivalry between {{Tennis}} players [[{{Tennis}} Roger Federer]] and [[{{Tennis}} Rafael Nadal]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federer%E2%80%93Nadal_rivalry has its own page]] on {{Wikipedia}}.

** Don Cherry and European players, though he's softened in recent years.