The 2025-26 NBA regular season tips off Oct. 21, so now is the perfect time to look back at some of the league's most storied modern rivalries. RotoWire.com, as part of our NBA betting coverage, developed a ranking of the Top 25 NBA rivalries of the past 10 years. The following categories and points were offered (100 points total):
- Historical Significance (0-20 pts)
- Recent Competitiveness (0-25 pts)
- Star Power & Personalities (0-20 pts)
- Engaged Fanbases (0-15 pts)
- Geography & Regional Factors (0-10 pts)
- Recent Cultural Impact/Drama (0-10 pts)
Top NBA Rivalries (Modern, Since 2015-16)
Rank | Matchup | Points |
1 | Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat | 84.5 |
2 | Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers | 81.5 |
3 | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 80.5 |
4 | Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 79.0 |
5 | Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 78.0 |
6 | New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets | 76.5 |
T7 | Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks | 73.5 |
T7 | Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics | 73.5 |
9 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics | 73.0 |
10 | New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers | 72.0 |
11 | Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks | 70.5 |
12 | Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns | 70.0 |
13 | Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks | 69.5 |
T14 | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets | 69.0 |
T14 | New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers | 69.0 |
T14 | Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers | 69.0 |
17 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers | 68.5 |
18 | Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings | 67.5 |
19 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 66.0 |
T20 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets | 64.0 |
T20 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | 64.0 |
T20 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers | 64.0 |
T20 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks | 64.0 |
24 | Phoenix Suns vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 62.0 |
25 | Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic | 60.0 |
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Best NBA Rivalries Of Recent Years
The top rivalry in the association for the past decade is the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Looking back at the entire history of the rivalry, these teams have faces off 184 times in the regular season and playoffs combined, dating to 1988, with the 
Boston Celtics holding a 107-77 series lead. The teams' postseason record stands at an even .500, with each side winning 21 games during that span, notching the series a rivalry score of 84.5 points.
The 
Miami Heat have met their New England rivals in the playoffs four times in the past 10 years.
That's tied for the most frequent postseason clashes since the 2015-16 season, alongside the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
In total, Boston-Miami managed to knock off another Celtics-centric rivalry, that being Boston vs. the Philadelphia 76ers (81.5 points). The Los Angeles Lakers' clash with the Denver Nuggets (80.5 points) was third and the transcontinental clash between the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers (79) ranked fourth on our list.
At Caesars Sportsbook as of Oct. 3, the Nuggets have the second-best 2025-26 NBA championship odds at +600, behind only the defending champion Thunder (+255).
Of the top four rivalries by our metrics, Boston vs. Los Angeles has the most panache. The two most legendary NBA franchises ever have met 376 times between 1948 and 2025, with Boston holding a 210-166 series advantage over its West Coast rival, according to LandofBasketball.com data.
The 
Lakers have run into the C's 12 times in the NBA Finals between 1959 and 2010, with Boston holding a 9-3 advantage. That's a decent synopsis of the bad blood that still simmers between the transcontinental foes, decades after Magic Johnson and Larry Bird hung up their sneakers.
Which Other Rivalries Made The Cut?
The next rivalries to round out the top 10 on our list are: Golden State vs. Memphis (78 points), the Big Apple battle between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets (76.5 points), Phoenix vs. Dallas and Golden State vs. Boston (73.5 each), Milwaukee vs. Boston (73) and New York vs. Indiana (72) rounded out the top 10.
Of the latter quintet of rivalries, the Knicks-Pacers series has the most parity going back in history. Each side has won 126 games dating back to 1977, while Indiana holds a 30-24 lead in the postseason. The Knicks lead their NYC rivalry with the Nets, 116-112 all time (but it's a 5-5 tie in the playoffs), including the Nets' days in New Jersey. Golden State vs. Memphis has its share of parity as well, with the Warriors holding a 58-52 regular-season edge, including when the Grizzlies were in Vancouver.
By comparison, the Suns have a 100-79 regular-season edge over the Mavericks, while Dallas holds a scant, 10-9 lead in the rivalry's postseason games. Boston leads the Warriors 211-141 all-time in the regular season (and an 18-11 playoff lead), again including when the Warriors were in Philadelphia. Of the 233 regular-season games between Boston and Milwaukee, the Celtics have won 121 of them (to 112 for the Bucks), to go with a 25-21 postseason lead.
While we await the start of the new NBA regular season, it's never too early to take a look at the NBA Championship odds set out at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The defending champion 
Oklahoma City Thunder are favored at +245. OKC is followed by the Nuggets (+650), Cleveland Cavaliers (+800), Knicks (+850) and Houston Rockets (+1000) in the race to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2026.
