LA Lakers: Top 10 NBA Rivals All-Time
By Keith Rivas
Miami Heat
Nov 12, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; A detailed view of the Miami Heat logo at center court before a game against the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Taking form in the mid-2000’s, the battle between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers was mainly focused on how Shaquille O’Neal would play against his former team, as well as what Kobe Bryant did to manage the floor.
Things ended up not working in favor of Los Angeles, as the rivalry took a dip after the Heat won the 2006 NBA Finals, but that’s not to say that it didn’t give us some great Christmas basketball.
The Lakers do, however, hold the majority of wins between the two, with a 30-25 overall regular season record against Miami.
When LeBron James chose to take his talents to South Beach, many thought that the rivalry would get back to how it used to be.
Seeing that James and Bryant are two of the games best ever, it also seemed like an eventual NBA Finals match up.
That never came to fruition, but this rivalry helped give us a new spark to watch on and off the court.
Next: No. 9